DUBAI // A cleaner tried to kill his friend by stabbing him in the abdomen, neck, back and chest, a court heard this morning.
The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance was told that the Nepali PD, 23, attempted to kill JM, 25, after he took him to a desert area next to the men's accommodation in Al Qusais. PD denied the charge.
"I was drunk and engaged in a fight with him, but I did not try to kill him and I didn't stab him," PD told the court.
Prosecutors also charged him with illegal consumption of alcohol, to which he confessed.
JM told prosecutors that PD asked him to join him in his room the night of the incident.
When he went there, he found PD drinking alcohol. JM said he refused to drink when offered.
Both men left went walking in a sandy patch near the accommodations, prosecutors said, adding that a fight erupted when PD slapped JM.
"He accused me of embarrassing him when I disagreed with him on something in front of other colleagues about 10 days before the incident," JM said.
JM pushed PD, and PD took out a knife and stabbed him. Several men rushed to JM's aid and PD ran away, records say.
SH, another worker, testified that about 1am on January 28 JM dragged himself to his room. When SH saw him bleeding from all over his body, he called police.
A forensics report said the wounds were not deep, despite being in potentially fatal locations.
A verdict is expected on September 12.
salamir@thenational.ae