Dubai: A worker who murdered his sleeping colleague claimed he committed the crime because he preferred jail over a return to his home country, a Dubai Court of First Instance heard Thursday.
The 27-year-old Pakistani defendant said that someone recorded him naked and sent the clip to his brother in Pakistan who then asked for him to return home. The defendant however refused and claimed he instead killed one of his workmates in order to get jail time.
Dubai Police were called when a fight broke out between workers at a construction site in Rashidiya in February of this year. The victim was rushed to hospital in an ambulance but he died on the way.
“Workers claimed they saw the defendant strangling the victim with a piece of fabric,” said a police officer. “The defendant confessed to the murder and claimed that he killed his sleeping workmate during their break.”
“He didn’t want to return to his country after having a dispute with his family,” added the officer.
The defendant told the officer that someone filmed him naked and sent the video to his brother who summoned him back to Pakistan.
“The defendant said that he didn’t have any problems with the victim but he wanted to commit a crime to go to jail and not return to his country,” added the officer.
The defendant confessed that he chose the Indian victim because he was old and would not be able to put up a fight.
An Egyptian worker said: “I saw the defendant sitting on the victim and strangling him with a piece of fabric. I shouted at him to stop and moved him away with the help of another worker, but he returned to the victim and strangled him again.”
The defendant was charged with premeditated murder. The trial has been adjourned to May 13.
