DUBAI // A maid accused of trying to murder her sleeping employer with a hammer was upset at not being paid for a year and a half, but did not mean to kill her, a court heard today.
YB, 28, from Indonesia, shattered the jaw of mother-of-two YA in the attack before raining blows across her body and trying to strangle her. She stopped only when, by chance, her employer's husband returned home and restrained her.
The maid told the Criminal Court that she was upset on the morning of the attack because of her unpaid wages and was not aware of what she was doing. She insisted that she did not mean to kill the woman.
The night before the attack the maid had overheard her employers talking about cancelling her visa. The next morning - November 19 - when the husband took his son to school the maid attacked his wife with the hammer.
"I was then awoken by a strong blow to the left side of my head which broke my jaw," recalled the mother.
She said the maid hit her with the hammer all over her body, despite her fierce resistance. The maid then pulled her to the corner of the room where she tried to strangle her and prevent her from screaming.
"My 18-month-old baby walked into the room and as I saw her I feared for her and resisted harder. I managed to push the maid to the corridor and pull the hammer out of her hand," said the mother, adding that the maid then tried to strangle her again.
At this point the mother's husband returned and saw the maid strangling his wife. "When I entered I saw my wife bleeding from the head and face while the maid was assaulting her," said the 35-year-old husband AM. He pulled the maid away from his wife and restrained her while neighbours called police.
"She was bleeding and had injuries and scratches all over her face, her jaw was hanging and she couldn't speak or drink water" said AA, a Libyan woman living next door to the mother.
The mother was taken to Rashid Hospital. The case was adjourned to April 29.
salamir@thenational.ae
MO
While you're here
Cheryl Thompson: Stop the practice of blackface that's as Canadian as hockey
Kareem Shaheen: Alghabra outshines the racists who malign him
Kareem Shaheen: In Canada, I have finally found a home
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'
Wonka
While you're here
Kareem Shaheen: Even a pandemic could not unite today's America
Michele Wucker: The difference between a black swan and a grey rhino
Robert Matthews: Has flawed science and rushed research failed us?
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
More on Quran memorisation:
THE%20JERSEYS
While you're here
The National editorial: Turkey's soft power weighs heavy on Europe's Muslims
Con Coughlin: How extremists use Zoom and other tools to exploit pandemic
Nicky Harley: Peace TV preacher Zakir Naik prompts UK hate laws review
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
While you're here
Editorial: What 'Fight Island' means for Abu Dhabi and the world
Chitrabhanu Kadalayil: It took too long to suspend IPL cricket
Ian Hawkey: In 2020, we learned what fans mean to sport
Ali Khaled: Euro 2020 vision on host cities is short-sighted
Results
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
No.6 Collaborations Project
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
65
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Switching%20sides
ASIAN%20RUGBY%20CHAMPIONSHIP%202024
The specs
THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS
AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas
DevisionX – manufacturing
Event Gates – security and manufacturing
Farmdar – agriculture
Farmin – smart cities
Greener Crop – agriculture
Ipera.ai – space digitisation
Lune Technologies – fibre-optics
Monak – delivery
NutzenTech – environment
Nybl – machine learning
Occicor – shelf management
Olymon Solutions – smart automation
Pivony – user-generated data
PowerDev – energy big data
Sav – finance
Searover – renewables
Swftbox – delivery
Trade Capital Partners – FinTech
Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment
Workfam – employee engagement
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
