DUBAI // A 22-year-old electrician who slashed his colleague’s throat after an argument about the latter’s smelly feet has been sentenced to five years in prison.
At Dubai Criminal Court last March, the Pakistani denied a premeditated murder charge and said that he was only defending himself.
"I didn’t mean to end his life," he told judges.
On July 26, the defendant and his countryman were taking their midday break in a rest area at a worksite in Al Rashidiyah.
Both men had laid down to sleep when the defendant asked his colleague to move his feet away from him as they smelled bad.
"Other workers told me the two men engaged in a heated argument then in a fist fight when the deceased refused to move his feet then insulted the defendant’s family," said a Syrian supervisor at the worksite.
"I had them all leave the rest room and take a rest outside, then as I was walking towards my car a worker ran towards me and said the defendant attacked the deceased with a blade," said the supervisor, who rushed back and handed the victim a scarf to wrap around his wound, which was bleeding heavily, before calling for an ambulance.
By the time paramedics arrived, the man was already dead.
"We got there and saw the victim on the ground and the defendant standing next him," said a police officer.
A co-worker said the two men had never fought before. "When the fight happened, the defendant left the room then we were all evicted from the room and, as we were walking out, he came from behind and attacked our colleague," said a Pakistani worker.
The policeman said: "He was denying the attack although his clothes were bloodied and the blade was found next to him at the crime scene. Then he confessed and said he got furious when the man insulted him family."
He was sentenced to five years in jail to be followed by deportation.