DUBAI // A 15-year sentence handed to a man who killed a friend during the latter’s birthday party was upheld by the Appeals Court on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old cook, S J, stabbed Anil Akari to death on December 16 last year, after drinking alcohol at the party. “I did not realise what I was doing when I stabbed him. I was heavily drunk,” said the Indian man at Dubai Criminal Court in May.
“I had consumed too much alcohol and I was acting without any thinking, but I didn’t mean to kill him.”
Prosecutors said Akari, who was in his thirties, had organised an early morning party and S J and other friends had been invited.
Indian waiter R M, 35, who was at the party, said: “We arrived and about another 10 friends joined, including the defendant, who started drinking alcohol with Akari.
“For nearly two hours the two kept drinking before the host insulted S J and used foul language to describe S J’s brother because he did not come to the party.”
R M said Akari repeatedly insulted S J’s brother, after which the cook left the studio apartment and they all sat down to eat.
However, S J returned shortly after with a knife. “He stabbed Akari one time and tried to stab him again but I stopped him, getting injured in the process,” said R M. The guests helped restrain S J until the police arrived.
“I arrived along with other colleagues to the building and I saw two men restraining a man on the ground, and saw another man on his back bleeding heavily,” said S S, 43, from India, who arrived at the party just after the incident.
Forensic evidence showed that Akari had been stabbed twice but only one stab wound caused his death. S J was also given a month in jail for consuming alcohol and will be deported after completing his jail term.
salamir@thenational.ae