Jobseeker kills worker in ‘lights out’ fracas

An unruly jobseeker stabbed a roommate to death for asking him to turn off lights and stop using a mobile phone during bedtime, a jury heard on Sunday.

The Asian visitor, 37, had just arrived in the UAE two days before the incident. His friend offered to shelter him inside his room at the workers’ accommodation of a concrete production company in Jebel Ali in the meantime.

He on Oct.1.2018 returned inebriated and found the room’s occupants asleep. He switched lights on and started shouting over the mobile. He assaulted the Indian victim for confronting him, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

Prosecutors accused him of assaulting the victim in a manner that led to his death. He denied the manslaughter charge but admitted to illicit consumption of alcohol. He asked for time to ind a lawyer. Case continues on Jan.27.

On the record, an Indian foreman testiied that he was in his room when he heard the inebriated jobseeker making noise inside an adjacent room. Occupants woke up telling him to switch off light and stop using his mobile.

“The victim told him to switch the light off. He paid no heed and continued using the mobile. They exchanged blows. I entered the room and advised the defendant to call me in case of any brawl because I was the foreman.

“The moment I left the room he renewed the dispute with occupants. The victim shouted at him to leave the room since he was a visitor and not a fellow employee. The defendant packed up and walked out with his belongings.

“He walked towards the corridor while vowing to return and beat all the room’s occupants. The victim rushed out of the room, pursued the defendant and battered him. The defendant opened his suitcase and pulled out a knife.

“He started brandishing it threatening to stab all of us,” explained the foreman, adding that he ended up knifing the victim who was facing him. He continued brandishing the knife, picked his suitcase and ran down the building.

An Egyptian watchman said, “I saw him running out and stopped him. I didn’t know him. I asked him to show his ID. He said he was a visitor. I asked for his passport. He entered his hand in his suitcase and pulled out a knife ordering me to stay away. He led. Labourers ran after him. A police patrol helped seize him.”