Dubai: A truck driver has been accused of punching his co-worker and stabbing him five times in an attempt to kill him following a dispute over parking their trucks.

The 43-year-old Indian driver, R.S., was said to have taken his countryman co-worker by surprise, punched him, kicked him and stabbed him five times near his truck in April.

R.S. assaulted his co-worker, F.E., and pinned him down to the ground, according to records, before he dragged out the knife that he had kept behind his back and stabbed him.

Prosecutors charged R.S. with trying to kill F.E.

The suspect pleaded not guilty and refuted his accusations when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the Indian men had parked their trucks in a huge sandy area where R.S. punched F.E. in the face, kicked him and then stabbed him in his stomach five times wanting to kill him.

Swift medical intervention helped save the life of F.E. who was rushed to hospital instantly following the assault.

“I did not intend to kill him. He is the one who attacked me first and I acted in self-defence,” argued R.S. before presiding judge Mohammad Jamal.

F.E. testified to prosecutors that the incident happened shortly after he had scolded R.S. for parking his truck where he [F.E.] usually parked his truck.

“I scolded him for taking my parking at the sandy area in Ras Al Khor area. I parked in a different spot and then went to the restaurant to get my dinner at 7.30pm. I had my dinner in my truck and then went to the bathroom. When I returned and was about to climb into my truck, the suspect came in front of me and punched me in my eye. Then he pinned me down to the ground and kicked me … he then took out a knife and stabbed me in the stomach five times. The attacker was drunk. While stabbing me he shouted ‘you die … you die’. He wanted to kill me. Then a few fellow Pakistani colleagues intervened and stopped him … they called the police and an ambulance,” he claimed to prosecutors.

The suspect was quoted as telling prosecutors that he took the knife from his truck, threatened F.E. with the knife and injured him.

The court reconvenes on November 13.