Man in Dubai stabs cousin over his share of food, gets six months' jail term

Dubai: A Dubai-based man has been sentenced to six months in jail for stabbing his cousin after a dispute over a portion of shared food.

According to Dubai Court of First Instance, the defendant was eating with his cousin in an apartment in Satwa area of Dubai when they had an argument over each other’s share of the food.

Sparked by insult

The victim insulted the defendant, who then stabbed the victim with a knife.

“He insulted me and I insulted him back. I went outside the room but the defendant followed me. He stabbed me in the stomach with a knife and knocked me to the ground,” said the victim in official records.

Dubai Police was alerted about the incident and an ambulance transferred the victim to a hospital for treatment.

The defendant claimed the victim assaulted him, so he got angry and stabbed the victim without the intention of killing him.

Charged with attempted murder

The defendant paid the victim’s treatment expenses and settled the dispute with the victim. However, Dubai Public Prosecution charged the defendant with attempted murder.

The court said in the ruling that the defendant didn’t have the intention to kill the victim despite the fact he used a knife.

“If there was the intention to kill the victim then the defendant wouldn’t leave him alone until he was dead. The circumstances showed that he wanted to [only] assault him,” said the court in records.

The defendant admitted to assaulting the victim without the intention to kill him.

The court sentenced the defendant to six months in jail, to be followed by deportation.