Dubai: A tourist has been accused of trying to kill a bouncer who kicked him out of a nightclub because he was not old enough [under 21] to enter the premises.
The 20-year-old Saudi holidaymaker, M.M., was said to have entered a grocery store, purchased a knife and rushed back to the nightclub and stabbed the Egyptian bouncer, who had denied him entry in March 2015.
Prosecutors accused M.M. of premeditatedly attempting to kill the bouncer B.S.
The suspect entered a not guilty plea when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.
“I did not stab him,” the defendant told presiding judge Mohammad Jamal in court.
His two lawyers asked the court to adjourn until they prepare their defence argument and present it in court on May 19.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect intended to try to kill the Egyptian when he stabbed him.
B.S. testified to prosecutors that the incident happened when the defendant was drunk as he arrived at the entrance and insisted on entering the nightclub.
“I denied him entry because he is less than 21 years of age. Clubbers under that age are disallowed entry. He got angry and cursed me, then walked away. Shortly after that he returned and took me by surprise and stabbed me in my shoulder,” he claimed.
One of the hotel’s Egyptian employees claimed to prosecutors that he spotted B.S. forcing the suspect out of the nightclub because he was underage.
“At first, the suspect refused to go out, but when bouncers escorted him out by force, he cursed B.S. The suspect’s friends were seen attempting to calm him down. Our manager contacted the police as soon as he heard the defendant making trouble. Later, I heard my co-worker [B.S.] shouting and saw the defendant taking out a knife,” the employee testified.
The Saudi holidaymaker was cited admitting to prosecutors that he purchased the knife from the grocery and stabbed the bouncer after they had a fight.
