Nurse caused friend's death after drunken row, court hears

Victim suffered fatal brain injuries after hitting head on pavement

A nurse caused the death of a friend after pushing him to the ground during a drunken row, a court heard.

The Filipino man died of a brain haemorrhage after hitting his head on the pavement following the altercation - with the accused initially claiming he was attacked by a gang.

Dubai Criminal Court was told the pair became embroiled in a heated argument over whether to continue their evening out on August 10.

“It was after midnight, I just wanted to go home and he wanted to stay out,“ said the 28-year-old defendant.

“We argued and fought. I pushed him, he fell to the ground and hit his head to the pavement. I didn’t mean to kill him.”

The defendant said passers-by intervened in the fight, after which he went home and left his friend behind.

“I came back half-an-hour later to check where he was and what happened, and I found him dead and police on [the] scene after a passer-by found my friend and called police,” he said.

A forensic expert said that the deceased - whose age was not disclosed in records - died due to a brain haemorrhage caused by a head injury.

He said scratches and bruises corroborated the defendant’s statement about the pair fighting.

Both men were found to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

“When we first arrived to the scene and the defendant came, he claimed that a group of men chased him and his friend and they were the ones who assaulted and killed his friend,” said an Emirati policeman.

“But soon after, he admitted what really happened.”

The accused denied a charge of assaulting one’s safety and causing death.

The case was adjourned until November 29.