Man fined Dh5,000 for threatening to slit flatmate's throat

Offender threatened to kill woman just days after being kicked out of home over drugs claim

A knifeman who threatened to slit his flatmate's throat unless she paid him Dh2,000 has been hit with a court fine.

The Vietnamese offender, 45, grabbed a knife from the kitchen, pressed it against the woman's neck and threatened to kill her while making the cash demand.

Good Samaritan neighbours forced their way into the woman's home, after being alerted by her screams, to rush to her aid.

The hero helpers wrestled the knife from the attacker's hand before calling police.

The defendant had been kicked out of the flat in the Al Muraqqabat area of Deira just days earlier by the 28-year-old woman, also from Vietnam, after she caught him taking drugs at the property.

The incident took place in June of this year.

“He threatened to slit my throat if I didn’t pay him Dh2,000 at once,” said the woman, who works as a hairdresser.

During police questioning, the defendant denied the woman’s version of events saying he did not take any drugs and accused the woman of fabricating the story because she owed him money.

The defendant denied a charge of issuing threats when he first appeared before Dubai Criminal Court last month.

But he was convicted of the charge and ordered to pay a Dh5,000 fine.