An award-winning military surgeon who battered his wife and a child in Dundee is being hunted by police after fleeing to the Middle East.
Dr Firas Bakri was granted bail after spending a night in custody and then admitting a domestic assault and an attack on a 13-year-old girl.
Bakri – who set up an innovative tech company in the city – failed to appear for sentencing and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
It is understood Bakri – who was studying a Masters degree at Dundee University – has returned to Jordan, where he was formerly a military surgeon.
The 43-year-old, formerly of Seafield Close, Dundee, admitted assaulting his wife by pushing her body and seizing her by the head on October 2.
He also admitted attacking a teenage girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, by pulling her hair and headbutting her on the forehead.
Assaulted wife and a child
Dundee Sheriff Court was told Bakri had asked his wife if she wanted to go out and do something together but she declined because he had been moody for days.
The incident sparked an argument between the couple and the complainer eventually screamed at her husband to “go away”.
The court was told a child witness saw Bakri push the woman backwards onto a bed and was then pushed herself when he saw she was watching.
Bakri pushed the child back and said: “Do not speak to me like that.”
His wife then hit Bakri from behind and urged him to stop being violent towards the child.
He pushed her back, causing her to fall on the bed and as he continued the attack, witnesses could hear her calling upon someone to contact the police.
The court was told the witnesses heard a “loud thump” coming from the couple’s bedroom and looked in to see the victim lying on the bed.
As he walked out of the bedroom Bakri stopped to grab the watching child by the hair, before headbutting her on the forehead.
Another child who could hear the incident was found hiding in fear.
Arrest warrant issued
Bakri – who met his wife at Jordan University medical school in 2000 – was arrested and spent a night behind bars on October 2 before appearing in court the following day to admit both charges.
Sentence was deferred for the preparation of social work reports and he was granted bail.
He was due to appear for sentence on Tuesday.
It is understood Bakri – who has mounted considerable debts – has returned to Jordan, where he has a previous conviction for a domestic incident.
Sheriff John Rafferty was told Bakri had not appeared and he said: “There is nothing else I can do but grant a warrant.”
Bakri, who spent nine years in military service, came to Scotland around three years ago and his education-related visa is due to expire next month.
He attended Dundee University, where he graduated with a Masters in orthopaedic and trauma surgery, and won the Centre for Entrepreneurship’s School of Medicine Venture Award.
He co-founded medical technology business Xavier Bionix in the city.
The company specialises in developing emerging and disruptive technology for use in the medical industry.
