Drunk man jailed for killing Dubai roommate after verbal brawl

Dubai - The court convicted him and ordered his deportation after the end of his jail term.

A man, who assaulted an Indian roommate and unintentionally caused his death while drunk, was sentenced to seven years in jail by the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.
According to a forensic expert, who examined the victim's body, the cause of death was a deep stab wound in the chest. "The victim was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time he was stabbed," the expert said in his report.
The Pakistani defendant, 37, who is in detention, admitted he had consumed alcohol prior to the incident, when he appeared in court. He claimed he did not intend to kill the victim.
The court convicted him and ordered his deportation after the end of his jail term.
The incident was reported on October 1, 2018 at Jebel Ali police station.
During the public prosecution investigation, an Indian foreman, 46, recalled how the accused came to him shortly after midnight at their labour accommodation in the industrial area of Jebel Ali. "He was intoxicated and unruly. He then went to his room and turned the lights on. The man disturbed his roommates as he was also talking on his mobile phone and they were sleeping."
A verbal brawl ensued. "I told the defendant to discuss with me about any problems with the other workers as I was the person in-charge," the witness told the prosecutor.
The foreman then left the room and the victim told the accused, who was on a visit visa, to pack up and leave the room as he was not on a resident visa.
The defendant did leave the room but then the victim assaulted him as the latter threatened to beat the workers up when he would come back to the accommodation. "This prompted the defendant to take a knife out of his baggage and stab the victim. The accused then fled the scene," the foreman told the investigator.
The defendant can appeal the conviction ruling within 15 days.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai