Al Ain Court Acquits Man Accused of Endangering Lives After Visitation Dispute

The Al Ain Court of First Instance has acquitted a 28-year-old Gulf national of reckless endangerment, ruling that prosecutors failed to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.

The judgment was delivered by the Third Misdemeanour Circuit at a final hearing on December 10, 2025. The court held that the offence alleged under Article 399(1) of the UAE Crimes and Penalties Law had not been established, and applied Article 212 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which requires any doubt to be resolved in favour of the accused.

Allegations rejected

The case arose from a complaint filed by the man’s former wife following a child visitation handover at an approved centre in Al Ain. Prosecutors alleged that the accused deliberately intercepted her vehicle and braked suddenly after leaving the centre, allegedly placing her and a companion at risk. The Public Prosecution sought the maximum penalty for endangering life.

The court, however, found that the material elements of the offence were not supported by reliable evidence. Judges noted that the complaint was lodged several days after the alleged incident and emerged against the backdrop of ongoing family and custody disputes.

Disputed accounts

Court records showed inconsistencies in the statements given by the complainant and her companion, including uncertainty over who was driving, the vehicle involved and whether a child was present at the time. Evidence before the court also indicated that the accused was not driving in the direction alleged and that the child involved in the visitation had been collected separately by a family member in a different vehicle.

Judges further observed that the allegation lacked objective corroboration. There was no traffic police report, no vehicle inspection or damage records, no evidence of injury, and no surveillance footage from the visitation centre, despite the presence of cameras at the location.

The court noted that custody of the couple’s four children had previously been awarded to the father following judicial findings related to neglect and concerns over the children’s welfare. The mother’s access was limited to supervised visits. On the day of the incident, only one child attended the visitation, while the others reportedly declined to accompany her, leading to heightened tensions and a verbal exchange at the centre.

In its ruling, the court stressed that criminal convictions must be based on certainty, not suspicion or probability. Given the contradictions in witness testimony, the absence of technical or independent evidence, and the broader context of a contentious custody dispute, the judges concluded that the prosecution had failed to discharge its burden of proof.

The accused was acquitted of all charges, bringing the criminal proceedings to an end.

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