Argument over stove leads to stabbing, Dubai court hears

Bangladeshi lost mobility in his hand after countryman stabbed him in the arm with a kitchen knife in a fight over the use of a stove, court told.

DUBAI // A worker has been accused of stabbing a colleague with a kitchen knife during an argument over the use of a cooker.

The injury left the injured man with a loss of mobility in his hand, Dubai Criminal Court was told on Tuesday.

The court heard that Bangladeshi defendant A A, 30, argued with his countryman J A, also 30, over the cooker in J A’s room. A A claimed it belonged to him and J A had no right to use it to cook.

On the morning of July 14 last year, the defendant and a friend visited J A in his room in Al Quoz and A A shouted at him not to use the hot plates, prosecutors said.

Victim J A said: “I told him it was the company’s stove, not his, so he got furious. Then his friend, who is a fellow worker, took him back to his room to calm him down, after asking me to lock my door.”

Five minutes later, the victim said the defendant violently pushed his door open and, before he could react, A A lunged at J A with a kitchen knife, aiming for his head.

“I raised my left arm to protect my head and I was deeply injured,” said J A, who added that he screamed as A A ran out of the room.

A fellow worker heard the screams and rushed to J A’s room. An ambulance and police were called.

“I didn’t see the incident, I was at the bathroom,” said the fellow worker.

Police found the defendant in his room with the kitchen knife on his table.

“He told us that he assaulted J A,” testified policeman M K.

A forensic report confirmed that J A had lost mobility in his left hand and suffers from stiffness in the fingers, as well as atrophy of the muscles in his hand which, in legal terms, is considered a permanent disability of 35 per cent.

The defendant was not present in court to enter a plea.

A verdict is expected on July 6.