Expat in Dubai 'murders boss who turned down his travel request'

Dubai - The accused said he felt humiliated after his boss told him to leave the workshop.

A man allegedly murdered his boss at an auto workshop in Dubai after his travel request was turned down. The accused allegedly stabbed the boss with a knife and then hit him in the face with a hammer multiple times. He has been charged with premeditated murder.
The Dubai Court of First Instance heard how the 21-year-old visit visa holder was enraged after his boss refused to allow him to travel back home. The accused, who is said to be from a country in Eastern Europe, brought a knife from the staff accommodation and committed the crime at the workshop in Al Quoz industrial area on June 13.
A police corporal said the accused was arrested near his country's consulate in the Bani Yas area. The defendant reportedly admitted to killing his boss.
"The accused said he felt humiliated after his boss told him to leave the workshop. He shut the door from inside and committed the crime," the corporal said.
The defendant then headed straight to the Dubai International Airport to try and fly home, but it was closed. He went to a mosque in Al Quoz and then on June 14, went to his country's consulate.
The owner of the workshop, a 43-year-old European, said he received a call about the murder from one of his workers at 4.50pm. "I learned from him that he saw the victim lying in a pool of blood inside his office. He was slain and his face was smashed. We suspected the defendant because he could not be seen in the workshop. He has previously had disagreements with the victim and had threatened to punish him before leaving the UAE."
Two workers, a 62-year-old European and a 73-year-old Asian, said they found the body after they came back from a nearby supermarket. The body was covered with a plastic bag. The witnesses said the defendant had enquired about ways to sneak out of the UAE by land. The accused had also asked about the surveillance cameras in the shop.
A forensic doctor said the victim's skull bones were fractured and he had severe internal haemorrhage, which led to his death. 
The defendant remains in detention as he awaits his trial that will resume on October 4.
mary@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai