DUBAI // Three young men thought to be high on drugs stabbed a man to death after waiting for him outside a nightclub in the early hours of the morning, a court heard on Tuesday.
Dubai Criminal Court was told that Emiratis F K, 22, K A, 21, and 19-year-old A S planned the murder and used a knife to stab Esmael Mohammed on February 23.
All three denied premeditated murder.
Indian waiter S S, 27, told prosecutors that when he finished his work at the club in the Dubai Grand Hotel in Al Qusais, he was heading to the employee attendance office at the car park when he heard a fight.
“I didn’t care because we hear that often,” said S S, who walked towards the exit but then saw two of the defendants running towards him, ordering him to return from where he came.
“As I turned back, one of them stabbed me in the thigh and I ran to the attendance office, where I asked colleagues to call police and an ambulance.”
Emirati A D, 35, was with the victim when he was attacked outside the club. He told prosecutors that the three defendants were in the club earlier that night and were being raucous and disturbing customers.
“They were also screaming loudly that they will kill one of the customers,” said A D.
The Emirati added that his friend and himself saw the three men coming towards them as they got to the car park.
“They came to fight with Esmael. I tried to do something to end the fight but F K assaulted me and K A was reaching to his knife, so I got scared and ran,” he said.
“I took a taxi home and, the next day, I learnt that Esmael was killed.”
Records did not mention the motive for the alleged murder but stated that the defendants had criminal records.
Police checked surveillance camera recordings to track down the trio. When they were arrested, they were found to be on drugs.
Each of the defendants gave prosecutors similar stories, but with small differences.
They all said that they went to the club together and had a few drinks before spotting some Emiratis fighting as they left.
However, each of them mentioned a different car that they used to get to the club.
salamir@thenational.ae
