Labourer in Dubai ‘killed friend over massage parlour card dispute’

Dubai Criminal Court heard how the Bangladeshi construction worker stabbed his compatriot to death after he was fired from a job distributing massage parlour cards.

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DUBAI // A construction worker stabbed his friend to death for firing him from a job distributing massage parlour cards, the Criminal Court has heard.

Bangladeshi A A, 37, is accused of killing his compatriot A M on February 27 this year, after the victim and another man had attacked him earlier that day.

On Sunday, the judge requested a lawyer to be assigned to the defendant before he entered a plea.

Emirati police officer F A, 37, told the court that A A had explained the cause of the dispute after his arrest in Sharjah.

“A A told us that he met the victim a year earlier and became friends,” F A said.

“A month before the murder, the victim called the defendant and offered him a job distributing coupons and cards for a massage parlour, in return the defendant would get paid Dh2,500.”

Five days before the alleged murder, the victim sacked the defendant and paid him only Dh1,500.

“Then, on the day of the incident, the victim called the defendant and told him to pass by to talk about a new job prospect.”

A A asked A M why he had lost his job and the discussion escalated into a row. The victim and a friend beat up A A before he managed to run away.

“The defendant admitted stabbing the victim after he came back to his house to find out why he was attacked earlier,” said F A.

The court also heard testimony from a number of eyewitnesses.

Pakistani M A, 40, said: “I was sitting in my room when I heard loud voices shouting in the house. I didn’t pay much attention to that, as arguments happen frequently.

“A few minutes later ... I saw the defendant and the victim fighting and saw the defendant hitting the victim with his right hand.”

He said A A walked away and he saw A M fall to the floor, screaming in agony.

“I noticed blood on his clothes, so I ran after the defendant but couldn’t catch him. I returned to the house, where I saw the body and a knife drenched in blood on the floor,” said M A.

Bangladeshi M S, 46, called police after seeing A M on the floor. The next hearing was set for June 1.

newsdesk@thenational.ae