Man stabs labourer to death in Dubai, claims self-defence

Dubai - The victim was seen running after the accused, clothes covered in blood

A 23-year-old Indian man pleaded not guilty to a murder charge when he appeared in the Court of First Instance on Monday. He claimed he did not intend to kill his countryman but was rather acting in self-defence.
Public prosecution records show the worker killed his fellow labourer by stabbing him in his face, neck, chest and back at their accommodation in Al Quoz industrial area.
The police were called to the crime scene. The incident dates back to September 21.
A Pakistani technician at the cleaning and maintenance services company, where the victim and accused worked, and whose testimony was taken as a witness to the incident, said : "It was just past 8am when I spotted the accused running and being followed by the victim at our accommodation in the first floor. The victim's clothes were covered in blood. He was holding a broomstick. The accused jumped a metal barrier there."
The ambulance arrived shortly after the 32-year-old witness called them.
The accommodation's 30-year-old supervisor, from Cameroon, told the prosecutor that he rushed to see what was going on after he heard screams in the hallway between rooms. "I saw the victim lying down screaming from pain. He was bleeding heavily from his chest and abdomen. I then spotted the accused running and then jumping. He landed on the ground floor and looked obviously hurt because of the jump. The knife used in stabbing the victim was found near the accused. It was seized by the police."
"I had the accused restrained at the security guards' room until the arrival of the police," he added.
The supervisor pointed out that the victim had died before he was taken to the hospital. "The accused's visa cancellation procedure had just been completed. He had a ticket booked to travel back home on the incident day. But he could not make it."
The man died because of severe internal bleeding due to the deep chest cuts, according to the forensic expert. The expert said the victim's body bore 12 injuries, including stab wounds, scratches and contusions. The physician's report showed the deceased did not suffer from any illness and was not on any medications.
During investigation, the defendant admitted that he stabbed the victim several times, including twice in the chest.
The trial will continue on December 21.
mary@khaleejtimes.com