Dubai: A guard argued in court that his dead wife stabbed him seven times in his stomach, arm and neck before he stabbed her back and killed her in self defence.

The Cameroonian guard, 26, had earlier denied the charge of the premeditated killing of his countrywoman wife, when he pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

Requesting the court’s permission to defend himself on Tuesday, the suspect contended before presiding judge Mohammad Jamal: “I was defending myself. She is the one who stabbed me seven times in my stomach, once in my arm and in my neck. I did not intend to kill her, but it was self defence after she had initiated the attack.”

As he spoke through the court translator, the Cameroonian pointed at knife wounds on his arm and neck, and also pointed towards his belly, explaining that he was hospitalised for his wounds.

Records said the incident occurred in November 2017, when the Cameroonian reportedly walked into washroom of his residence to see his wife holding a knife and threatening to kill herself.

The man rushed towards her and took away the knife, before grabbing her neck and stabbing her. He stabbed his wife in different parts of her body and stabbed himself as well.

A flatmate called an ambulance and reported the matter to the police.

By the time crime scene investigators and paramedics arrived at the flat in Al Barsha, the wife had already died. The suspect was rushed to hospital for treatment. Later, he didn’t disclose the reasons for their argument to the police, said records.

The young man was charged with the premeditated murder of his wife and attempted suicide, and he pleaded not guilty in court during a previous hearing.

Prosecutors said the suspect stabbed himself in his belly several times, an accusation that he refuted, alleging that his wife stabbed him.

His court-appointed lawyer asked the presiding judge to acquit his client of premeditated murder and give him a lenient punishment.

A Cameroonian flatmate of the accused testified to prosecutors that the incident happened shortly after the couple returned home.

“When I returned home, maintenance workers told me that they had come to do some work, but nobody answered the door. I knocked, but no one answered. When I called the suspect’s mobile, he didn’t respond. We opened the door with a spare key and walked in to the flat. The victim and her husband were down on the floor and there was blood all over the place,” he told prosecutors.

A police lieutenant testified: “After he recovered, I questioned him and he alleged that the deceased grabbed a knife and threatened to kill herself. He claimed he took the knife away from her and stabbed her and himself,” the lieutenant said.

A ruling will be heard on October 30.