Worker to be executed for murdering boss

Dubai: A worker will be executed for premeditatedly murdering his boss by battering his head with a hammer eight times and stabbing him 30 times over Dh45,000 unpaid salaries.

The Dubai Court of First Instance on Wednesday convicted the 35-year-old Indian defendant, N.K., of preplanning the premeditated murder of his countryman boss, S.R., and battering his head with a middle-sized hammer and stabbing him with a kitchen knife.

"The court has unanimously agreed that the defendant will be executed. The knife and hammer will also be confiscated," said Presiding Judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi upon pronouncing Wednesday's judgment in courtroom seven.

Chief Prosecutor Khaled Al Zarouni, Head of Bur Dubai Prosecution, referred N.K. to court and asked for the implementation of a capital punishment against him.

"I did not do that," argued N.K. when he defended himself citing self defence.

According to the charges sheet, the accused prepared the hammer and the knife for the purpose of killing S.R. on the grounds that he had a financial dispute with him.

N.K. went to visit S.R. in his flat in Karama.

Making sure that S.R. was alone, N.K. battered the victim with the hammer. The victim fell down before N.K. pinned him down and battered him again. Then he stabbed him 30 times across different parts of his body.

An Emirati policeman testified: "N.K. confessed during questioning that he killed his former boss because he owed him Dh45,000 in unpaid salaries. The defendant said S.R. constantly refused to pay his pending salaries despite continually asking him to do so."

Dubai Police's forensic doctor testified that the victim was battered with the hammer on his head. He also had two fatal knife stabs in his neck and heart.

An Indian HR executive testified: "The defendant worked for our company as a driver over four years. When I interviewed N.K. to know why he resigned, he said he was very upset with S.R. because he did not improve his work conditions.

"N.K. claimed that he offered several services to S.R. who refused to improve his conditions. He threatened that he would not leave the victim alone even in his country India. The defendant said in front of me that his family could afford raising his children alone. I warned S.R. to be careful and watch out… but he did not take me seriously."

According to primary interrogations, N.K. was arrested three days later.

An Indian warehouse manager testified that S.R.'s wife called him from India and asked him to check on her absent husband because she was worried.

"I went to his flat… I heard the sound of the television coming from behind the door . I heard his mobile rang. I told the police," claimed the manager.

Police found S.R. dead in his flat after they broke down its door upon a prosecutors' permission.

Wednesday's judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days.