Life sentence for man who repeatedly stabbed countryman he owed Dh30,000 to

The Vietnamese man did not like what his victim was saying on the phone to his mother about the debt and why he had not sent any money home recently.

DUBAI // A jobless Vietnamese man who tried to stab a compatriot to death over a Dh30,000 debt was on Wednesday sentenced to life in jail.

The incident happened after the victim and his attacker, 39, were invited to a party by a mutual friend at a villa in Bur Dubai on December 7 three years ago.

The victim, a 29-year-old victim security guard, said that he lent money to the attacker on different occasions but his attacker did not return any of it.

“He took a total of Dh30,000 and stalled every time I asked him for it,” said the guard.

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At the party, the victim received a call from his mother asking him why he hadn’t wired her any money lately.

“I told her it was because a friend borrowed money from me and wouldn’t return it,” said the guard, who noticed his debtor was listening to the conversation.

The attacker said he was offended by what the guard said to his mother. He took out a knife he was hiding in a newspaper and tried to slit the guard’s throat but failed, so he stabbed him in the waist.

“I ran but he chased me screaming that he would kill me,” said the victim.

He fell and his attacker sat on him and began to stab him again. Another party guest saw what was happening and rushed to help the victim, who then fainted.

“I saw an injured man fall and another sit on top of him stabbing him with a knife, so I went to help,” said the 36-year-old salesman who intervened.

The salesman said that when he pulled away the attacker, the victim was holding his stomach in pain and bleeding heavily. He was taken to Rashid Hospital.

It was not clear why the case took three years to be heard.

The attacker was found guilty of attempted murder and will be deported after serving his 25-year life sentence.