DUBAI // A 26-year-old Nigerian is accused of attacking a man with a meat cleaver, aiming for his neck but injuring his arm instead.
Prosecutors told Dubai Criminal Court that on December 4 last year, the defendant was hiding between a number of cars near labour accommodation in Al Qusais and, when he saw the victim, he attacked him.
He allegedly aimed for the victim’s neck but injured his arm when the victim raised it to protect himself.
“He was running towards me and two of my colleagues, screaming in a language we didn’t understand, and then he hit me with the cleaver,” said the Pakistani victim, 32. He did not elaborate on the man’s reasons for the assault, which took place at about 3am.
The accused was drunk and was walking around the accommodation threatening to kill everyone on the night of the incident, prosecutors said.
“I saw him around an hour before the attack, he was holding a cleaver and saying he was going to kill everyone who lived in this accommodation,” testified a 33-year-old Nepalese security guard, who told his boss.
The guard then called police but the defendant had gone by then. “Later, I was told he attacked a worker,” added the guard.
The attacker was found sleeping at his room doorstep at the accommodation, a police officer testified. “He was obviously very drunk so we waited until he slept it off then arrested him,” said the Yemeni officer, 41.
When the accused was questioned, he said he was merely interfering to stop a fight between two groups of people when they assaulted him, so he lashed out at one of them in self-defence. The Nigerian confessed in court to charges of physical assault and consuming alcohol without a licence.
“I am guilty but there was a fight, and I did hit the man but it was only in self-defence,” he told judges.
A verdict will be issued on June 14.
salamir@thenational.ae
