Dubai: A worker has been jailed for five years after a court on Monday convicted him of taking part in the killing of an Iranian bootlegger in 2005.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the Indian defendant, J.S., of collaborating with 14 other Indian bootleggers in the murder of the Iranian victim, H.M.

The victim had been blackmailing the men for selling liquor.

Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad, who delivered Monday's judgment, said the accused, J.S., would be deported after serving his punishment.

Four years ago, 12 of the 14 defendants were each jailed for five years while the other two defendants were each imprisoned for three years.

Deported

Most of the 14 served their punishments and were deported.

Earlier this year, prosecutors referred J.S. to court after his arrest by Dubai Police.

Dubai Public Prosecution had charged the men, aged between 21 and 40, with using iron bars to beat H.M. to death.

A police officer testified earlier that the operations room was informed about an assault in Al Quoz Industrial Area.

Gruesome beatings

The Iranian victim later died in Rashid Hospital of injuries inflicted by the gruesome beatings.

Prosecution records showed police found a sports utility vehicle with a broken windshield nearby.

The victim's brother told the police that the car belonged to the victim, H.M.

The court heard that the victim and his Emirati friend, D.A., approached one of the murderers, K.S., who was selling liquor.

They blackmailed K.S. for money and liquor, which he refused. The two did the same to another suspect, S.B., who also refused.

Primary investigations revealed that the fugitive and the victim frequently blackmailed their attackers.

In their statement during prosecution questioning, some of convicts confessed that they had planned to get rid of the "blackmailers".

So they took metal rods and wooden bars to beat them. Police said they recovered some of the rods and bars hidden in a sewage hole.

Medical reports showed the victim died of blows to the skull and other injuries. Yesterday's verdict remains subject to appeal within 15 days.