DUBAI // An electrician stabbed his colleague in a frenzied drug-fuelled attack, a court heard today.
MA, 27, from India, grabbed a knife and stabbed his compatriot SJ, 36, in the back and chest after being confronted over why he was chewing Pan, a psychoactive preparation of betel leaf.
The colleague nearly died in the attack, requiring 30 days worth of hospital treatment to recover.
The colleague told the Criminal Court he was working at a construction site in Jebel Ali on June 1 last year when he noticed the electrician spitting on his work gear.
"He was chewing Pan, and I asked him: "Are you crazy?" before returning to my work," said the colleague.
The next thing he knew he was being stabbed in the back.
"I fell to the ground and lost consciousness," he said.
Before the knife attack the electrician had kicked another colleague, PF, 26, from India. "I asked him why had he done so but he did not reply," said the second colleague.
Moments later the second colleague saw the electrician taking a knife from under his clothes and approaching the other man.
"He started stabbing the man in his back, chest and neck, and when I tried to prevent him he waved the knife at me and threatened to stab me too," said the second colleague.
He managed to restrain the electrician with the help of other colleagues.
During prosecution interviews the electrician claimed the stabbing was in revenge for an assault.
He was charged with attempted murder.
The next hearing was scheduled for February 5.
salamir@thenational.ae
