Drunk expat gets 3-year jail term for killing longtime friend

dubai — An expat has been sentenced to three years in jail by the Dubai Court of First Instance for assaulting a compatriot to death at a hotel room.

The Dubai Public Prosecution accused the 36-year-old Mexican, a sales executive, of punching the victim and causing death. Both were drunk during the assault. The defendant has been detained since the incident was reported at Al Barsha police station. The court also ordered the deportation of the defendant after he served his jail term.

One of the witnesses, a 33-year-old Mexican supervisor, said they stayed at a hotel in the Dubai Investment Park. “Around 7pm on November 15 last year, I spotted the defendant behaving erratically. He was trying to speak to the receptionist in our native language.”

The witness told the prosecutor that he understood from the accused that he had a fight with another man (the victim was his longtime friend and shared the same room) and that they assaulted each other.

The supervisor then went to the defendant’s room. “I saw the victim lying with his face down motionless. His face was bleeding and had a big black eye,” he recounted.

Another witness, a 23-year-old Mexican technician, said the two men had an argument over who would work and do sports better. “They were intoxicated and wouldn’t listen. I then left the room.”

According to the forensic report, the death was caused due to internal haemorrhage. . The defendant told the investigator he punched the victim once only and did not mean to kill him. The ruling has been appealed.