A construction worker was sentenced to five years in prison for killing a co-worker after the two had an argument.
Dubai Criminal Court heard how the Indian man, 26, hit the victim, also from India, on the head.
The incident happened on July 14, 2020, at the company’s office in Bur Dubai.
“I was at my office when I heard the noise at around 8.30pm that day. I went out to check what was happening,” said the operations manager of the company.
The manager, also Indian, said he found the victim on the floor, bleeding.
“He was face down on the floor surrounded by other men. I looked at the defendant and he ran away,” the manager said.
The workers told the manager that there had been an argument which led one of the men to hit the other with a wooden stick.
“But they said they didn’t understand what the argument was about because the two spoke in their native language,” the manager said.
The victim was rushed to hospital but died as a result of skull fractures and internal bleeding.
Police arrested the accused three days later near the company’s labour accommodation in Al Qouz industrial area.
The man admitted hitting his colleague but denied the charge of killing him.
“He said he was upset with his colleague for arguing with their boss, whom he said he highly respected. He said he was drunk at the time,” a police officer told the court.
“He said he only meant to discipline the victim, not kill him.”
On February 28, he was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by deportation.
The sentence can be appealed against within two weeks.
