A nurse who caused the death of a friend after pushing him to the ground during a late-night row has been jailed for three years.
The 28-year-old Filipino initially tried to cover up his crime by claiming his compatriot had been attacked by a gang.
The victim suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage after hitting his head on the pavement in an altercation in Al Satwa, Dubai, at about midnight on August 10.
The pair became embroiled in an argument over whether to extend their night out or return home, Dubai Criminal Court heard.
“I just wanted to go home, and he wanted to stay out, we started arguing then fought,” said the accused in court records.
He said he pushed his friend who fell and hit his head on the pavement.
“I didn’t mean to kill him.”
He said that a number of men witnessed the heated exchange and intervened.
He then went home, but returned half an hour later to check on his friend, only to discover he had died and police had arrived on the scene.
“A man had found my friend dead and called police.”
A forensic expert said that the deceased, whose age was not disclosed in records, died from a brain haemorrhage caused by a head injury.
Both men were found to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
“When the accused returned to the scene, he claimed a group of men chased him and assaulted his friend, but shortly after, he admitted what really happened,” said a policeman.
The accused denied a charge of assaulting one's safety and causing death when he last appeared before the court.
He will be deported once he has served his sentence.
