Cleaner stabs co-worker in fight at restaurant
Suspect refuses to give way, assaults co-worker who wanted to put meat in restaurant’s storeroom
Dubai: A cleaner has been accused of stabbing his co-worker following a heated argument in a restaurant’s storeroom, heard a court on Sunday.
The Pakistani worker was taking meat into the refrigerated storeroom when he saw his countryman cleaner, 22, who was cutting onions, blocking the way at the restaurant in Bur Dubai in January. According to the records, the worker asked the cleaner to move aside, but he refused. The worker then asked the cleaner to assist him remove some flour bags so he could make way to the storeroom to put the meat, but he refused that request too.
The two men then indulged in an argument and verbally abused each other, and it soon degenerated into a fight with the cleaner stabbing the worker twice on his leg and belly. The worker managed to fend off the attack when other colleagues interfered and prevented the cleaner from pursuing the assault.
Police arrived at the restaurant and apprehended the cleaner, meanwhile the co-worker was rushed to the hospital.
Prosecutors charged the suspect with assaulting his countryman with a knife and causing him permanent disability.
According to the charges, prosecutors said the suspect caused a three per cent permanent disability to his co-worker.
The suspect denied the charges when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.
“The worker was the one who attacked me … I was chopping onions with the knife, and when we were pushing each other, he was unintentionally injured by the knife,” said the cleaner as he entered into a not guilty plea before presiding judge Mohammad Jamal.
The worker told the prosecutors that the incident happened when he asked the suspect to give him way so he could put the meat in the refrigerated storeroom.
“He refused to move aside and give me way … then he refused to help me remove the flour bags. Then he insulted and cursed my mother and I responded back … he jumped on and stabbed me with the knife twice. I fended him off as other co-workers helped in stopping him,” the worker told prosecutors.
A ruling will be issued on November 25.