Man stabs baby and neighbour then stabs himself to death in street in Springs, Dubai

Dubai Police say he had mental health issues and stabbed himself after an argument with his wife.

The Springs villas in Dubai became the scene of a violent family tragedy in which an African man died. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

DUBAI // A man with a history of mental illness killed himself on Thursday after attacking a neighbour who tried to stop him from choking and cutting his infant.

The African, in his thirties, was arguing with his wife on Thursday morning at their home on Street 3, Springs 11, when the incident occurred.

The man chased his wife and baby out of their home when a neighbour, an Asian man in his 50s, intervened and was wounded by the African.

A taxi driver witnessed the attack and called police.

The African man then inflicted a fatal knife wound by stabbing his own genitals.

“He has been sick for a while and his condition got worse. After the fight, he sort of lost it and stabbed himself,” said Maj Gen Khalil Al Mansouri of Dubai Police.

When the man’s wife was pregnant, he sought treatment for his illness, but police said his mental condition deteriorated after the baby’s birth.

The couple were preparing to return to their home country and were waiting to receive a passport for their child before leaving Dubai.

The wife told police that her husband visited a doctor two days earlier and he had been prescribed medication for his condition.

However, he became increasingly agitated and tried to choke their baby on Thursday.

She grabbed the child, but he tried to pull the baby’s leg before taking a knife and cutting the infant.

She then ran for help and saw the neighbour, who the husband attacked.

Police arrived to find the husband dead on the street.

The neighbour and the baby were taken to hospital and both are in a stable condition, with minor wounds.

Police said steps were being taken to repatriate the wife, her baby and her husband’s body to their home country, which has not been disclosed.

Police cordoned off Street 3. Emaar security vehicles were also at the scene.

Maintenance crews were seen using water jets to remove blood from the road.

A resident, who asked not to be identified, said: “I think the police came at about 8.30am but I’m not sure. People were outside and looking at what happened but police told us to go indoors.

“There was a taxi driver who saw what happened and I think the police questioned him but we haven’t been told anything more.”