Death sentence for man who killed Emirati in sword fight

Ajman fracas in 2018 left two men dead and a third with disabilities

A man who murdered an Emirati in a sword fight two years ago has been sentenced to death.

Before the death sentence is referred the President, Sheikh Khalifa for approval - in line with UAE legal policy - the killer, from the Comoros Islands, will serve more than three years in jail for the attempted murder of a second man and traffic offences.

Ten men were involved in a fracas in an area of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road in Ajman at about midnight on January 7, 2018.

Ajman Police were called to the scene, where they found the bodies of two Emirati men, aged 22 and 26.

One appeared to have been run over while trying to escape and the other had died from stab wounds.

A third man, 30, from the Comoros Islands, was found seriously injured and taken to Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Ajman.

Three men, all from the Comoros Islands, were arrested 12 hours after the incident was reported to police.

Two of the accused were sentenced to seven years in prison each after being convicted of physical assault that led to a permanent disability.

The pair was also ordered to pay Dh20,000 each as temporary compensation for the surviving victim.

Four other men were convicted of engaging in the fight, carrying offensive weapons and hiding the murder weapons from the authorities.

They were each sentenced to two years in prison and one was given an added one-month jail term for breaking traffic rules and driving an unlicensed and unregistered vehicle.

The men will be deported from the country on completion of their sentences.

The man who received the death penalty can appeal the sentence within two weeks.