A construction worker faced a murder charge at a Dubai court after he allegedly stabbed to death a roommate while drunk.

Public prosecution records show that on March 30, in Al Qusais, the 37-year-old Indian worker fatally stabbed the victim in his room.

He has been charged with murder and consuming alcohol without a license at the Court of First Instance.

Prosecutors are calling for a stiff penalty to be inflicted on him as per the law.

An Indian labor accommodation supervisor said: "I was at my room in the accommodation in Al Muhaisna around 10:30 pm when I was informed by a driver about a problem involving the defendant. I went to the latter's room and saw a crowd of laborers. I opened the door and saw the victim lying in a pool of blood. He appeared motionless with a stab wound in the abdomen.

"I heard from a group of workers that the defendant, the victim and the driver met in the room's balcony to bid farewell to the latter as he was due to leave for his home country. Then a verbal brawl ensued between the accused and the victim for the latter was allegedly talking loudly on his mobile phone.

"He picked a knife from beneath a bed and stabbed the victim in the abdomen. He then pulled the knife and rushed out."

The witness added that he saw him outside of the building as they were waiting for the police.

"He was apparently drunk and bleeding from between his fingers. He would not tell me how he got that injury," the driver said.

CCTV footage showed the defendant hiding the knife under his clothes when he entered a restroom and walking out without it.

A police lieutenant recounted to the prosecutor as to how he saw the victim lying on his back. "There was a frying pan next to him. I learned from witnesses that one of the two men hit the other with it on the head and the victim got stabbed."

The cause of death, as shown in the forensic report, was a severe bleeding because of a deep stab wound.

The trial is adjourned to October 7.

SOURCE : KHALEEJTIMES