Man’s life term upheld for killing ex-roommate at Christmas party

dubai — A man, who stabbed to death a former roommate when he gatecrashed a 2016 Christmas party, has had his life sentence upheld by the Court of Appeals.

Public prosecution records show the 37-year-old Sri Lankan worker was very drunk when he spotted the victim intruding into the party and having a brawl with his two brothers. During interrogation, the defendant claimed he was not even aware where he stabbed the victim as he was not sober.

He turned himself in to the police in less than two days after the

Two men came in uninvited and my brother got provoked when he heard them hurling insults about him.” Brother of defendant

incident. He was convicted by the Court of First Instance in December 2017 and the Court of Appeals upheld the life term (25 years) and deportation order.

He fled the scene after the stabbing incident and sought refuge at his friend’s place in Sharjah where he stayed for a while in his meat shop. The defendant’s brother, 36, said the victim was the accused’s former roommate. “We were celebrating Christmas at a house in Hor al Anz. There were about ten people, including women, and we were drinking alcohol. Two men came in uninvited and my brother got provoked when he heard them hurling insults about him. I let him go outside and followed him. My wife told me not to intervene but I learned later from her that my brother stabbed the other man,” the witness told the prosecutor.

A police officer said the murder was reported around 11pm on December 25, 2016.

mary@khaleejtimes.com