DUBAI // A man was stabbed to death in a dispute about the sale of a motorbike, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Sunday.
Prosecutors said Emirati MS, 18, stabbed fellow countryman HG multiple times in the chest, heart and abdomen on February 8.
MS told prosecutors he sold a motorbike HG, but he failed to pay the full amount.
“HG paid me Dh4,000 and told me that he would pay the rest after a month. However, when the time came, he started to stall and was ignoring my calls,” said MS.
The total was not disclosed to the court.
Witness RR told prosecutors he heard the HG talking to one of his relatives over the phone while sitting with him in a cafe on Sheikh Zayed Road at 3am.
“I heard the deceased telling his relative that he would burn the home of anyone who takes his motorbike,” said 24-year-old RR.
He told prosecutors that the defendant came to the cafe with other people and requested the deceased to go outside the cafe to talk.
“I saw them fighting and pushing each other, before we calmed them down, outside the cafe” said RR.
Court records show that the defendant left the area, and the deceased went back inside the cafe.
Police officer AA, 22, told prosecutors that the deceased and a few friends went to the defendant’s home after they were assured by the defendant that the problem was over and they wanted to reconcile.
“Once they reached MS’s home, they found him sitting on the front lawn with his friends,” said the officer.
Emirati student AHH, told prosecutors the defendant wanted to talk to HG to resolve the matter because they were good friends.
“MS went to the car where [HG] was sitting, and then we saw HG come out of the car walking with [him],” said the 24-year-old student.
“We ran towards them after we saw the deceased on the ground and MS on top of him stabbing him with a knife, continued AHH.
The men removed MS and held him, and the victim was taken to Rashid Hospital.
MS went to the police station and handed himself in.
At Dubai Criminal Court on Sunday, the defendant denied a charge of premeditated murder.
The next hearing is set on June 18.
tzriqat@thenational.ae