A man who beat his colleague to death with a stick had his three-year jail sentence increased to seven by Dubai Court of Appeal on Sunday.
On April 28, the defendant, a 42-year-old air conditioning technician, and his friend were having dinner and drinking alcohol at a villa under construction in Al Quoz Industrial area.
As they ate they began to argue about a work-related matter and the victim allegedly insulted the Indian man’s wife and family.
The two men began fighting and the defendant picked up a wooden stick and began assaulting his colleague, whose age and nationality were not disclosed in court records.
He dropped the stick and left. The victim was found dead the following day next to his dinner and police were called to the scene.
"I found the security guard and the defendant standing there," said an Emirati police officer. He said that during questioning the defendant admitted he fought with his colleague and assaulted him but told police he never thought he would die.
A medical report showed that the victim was heavily intoxicated which left him unable to defend himself. The attack caused internal bleeding that caused his death.
At Dubai Criminal Court, the defendant denied a charge of premeditated murder, claiming he acted in self-defence.
“We had several disputes before but on that day we argued and he attacked me so I defended myself but I never had the intention to end his life,” said the defendant.
He was originally sentenced to three years in prison but on Sunday, Dubai Court of Appeal overturned the decision and increased his sentence by four years followed by deportation.
