DUBAI // Three students and a soldier tried to kill a 15-year-old over alleged verbal insults, a court heard this morning.
The four, all Emiratis, conspired with a juvenile identified as O to kill SM after they heard him talking badly about one of them, court records show.
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AA and EA, both 22, MS, 19, the soldier, and AE, 18, are charged with attempted murder and confessed before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance. O will be tried in Juvenile Court.
Prosecutors said that on the night of April 29, as SM was standing near his house in Al Rshidiya area with some friends, a Toyota Camry pulled over with its licence plate covered with black plaster.
MS stepped out of the car and asked SM why had he been talking badly about him. SM replied that he did not know him well enough to talk about him at all, records show.
MS pulled a 90-cm iron bar from behind his back and struck SM on the head, prosecutors say. AE joined in the attack and started punching SM before AA and O joined in with swords.
AA slashed SM on the head, causing him a nearly fatal injury, while O threatened SM's friends with his own sword and prevented them from rescuing him, records show.
RS, a friend of SM, testified that the five returned to their car and fled after the attack.
SE, a Dubai police corporal who was visiting his wife's family near the incident, witnessed the attack and reported it to police. He said the attackers obviously meant to kill SM.
The next hearing will be on August 14.
salamir@thenational.ae
