Construction worker sentenced to die over killing

He pushed a co-worker from the top of a crane, prosecutors say, in case that was originally thought to be accidental death.

ABU DHABI // A Pakistani man was sentenced today to death for killing a colleague by pushing him off a crane in a case that was originally ruled an accident.

Prosecutors said the defendant, a Pakistani labourer identified as MKh, climbed up a crane after an argument with the Sudanese victim and hit him with an iron bar. The incident took place late last year in Mussafah. MKh was convicted of premeditated murder by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance today.

At first, according to a court official, no murder was identified and interrogators listed the death as accidental. The forensic report noted an injury to the back of the victim's head but attributed it to the fall.

MKh later told several of his friends he had hit the victim and pushed him from the crane. A person from their company then reported his statement to police. MKh confessed after police questioning.

A representative from the victim's family appeared last month before the court, refused to accept the blood money and insisted on the death penalty.

The case will be automatically sent for appeal within 15 days because it involves capital punishment.