Dubai: A Filipino assistant has denied attempting to murder an Iranian student by attacking her with a knife in the parking lot of a building in Satwa.
Prosecutors accused the 22-year-old suspect, J.M., with stabbing the 26-year-old student twice in her back and stealing her purse.
"I am not guilty. I didn't stab her and I didn't try to kill her," said J.M. when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday.
Swift medical intervention helped save the life of 26-year-old A.R.
The suspect rejected charges against him and nodded his head in disapproval when Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout levelled the accusations against him in Courtroom Four.
According to the arraignment sheet, prosecutors charged J.M. with attempted murder by stabbing A.R. Prosecutors said he intended to end her life.
The charge of attempted premeditated killing was associated with a charge of robbery —A.R.'s purse contained Dh5,000, 3,000 euros (around Dh14,800), private documents and a mobile phone.
The student testified that the incident happened in the underground parking of the building where she lived near the Iranian Hospital.
"The suspect sought to speak to me shortly before I opened my car door… he held a knife in my face and ordered me to give up my belongings. Frightened, I threw my purse to the ground. He pushed me to the floor, and when I tried to stand up he stabbed me in the back and escaped. I picked my other phone and contacted my friend, N.K., whom I was going to visit," A.R. told prosecutors.
The victim's 42-year-old friend, N.K., testified that she reported the attack to the police shortly after A.R. told her what happened.
Preliminary investigations led to the arrest of J.M., who was identified by the student.
An Emirati police lieutenant testified: "He admitted that he attacked her and stole the money which he needed for his children's school tuition in Philippines."
