DUBAI // A man who kicked his roommate to death in a drunken fight must spend the next five years in jail, the Dubai Court of Appeal has ruled.
In a previous hearing at the Criminal Court Indian S J, 23, was charged with physical assault that led to the death of his compatriot R H, whose age was not given, after kicking him in the head.
Prosecutors said S J, R H and two other men were at their accommodation on Friday, August 15, drinking alcohol.
S J and the victim argued and insulted each other using foul language.
Their Indian roommate R S, 24, testified that when he returned to the room all four men, including the victim and his roommate, were drunk.
“There were two empty bottles of alcohol near them and the room was a mess. So I asked them to get out of the room to clean it.”
He said the men returned after cleaning was over. S J continued abusing R H. “Two of the men pushed R H and when he fell on the floor S J kicked him strongly on the head,” said R S.
R H was bleeding, shivering and making strange noise when he breathed.
The accommodation’s nurse was called who in turn asked the security guard to call an ambulance. The guard reported the matter to police.
By the time the ambulance arrived, R H was already dead.
Police arrested S J in a sandy area next to the accommodation. At first he denied any wrongdoing and blamed the other two men for R H’s death.
Emirati policeman M M, 29 testified that S J also claimed that he acted only in retaliation.
“S J said that R H slapped him so he returned the slap which made R H lose balance and fall, hitting his head on the edge of the bed,” the officer said.
A forensics report said the cause of R H’s death was a skull fracture and a cerebral artery cut.
S J denied the charges but was convicted and sentenced to five years to be followed by deportation.
salamir@thenational.ae
