Cleaner strangles girlfriend in Emirates Hills villa, Dubai court hears

A man strangled a woman after having sex with her then slammed her head against the sink, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Sunday.

On May 20, at 6.30am, a Pakistani gardener found the dead woman’s body in Emirates Hills near his sponsor’s villas.

“She was in her underwear and facedown. I thought she was a doll at first, I touched her cheek and panicked when it turned out she was human,” the 32-year-old man said.

He ran to the security guards who called police after being shown the Nepalese woman.

“When they came to check, they too thought she was a doll,” the gardener said.

Police questioned the woman’s acquaintances and found out the defendant was the last person to see her alive.

"We arrested him the same day at around 11am," said an Emirati policeman, 36.
During the investigation, it is alleged the 31-year-old man admitted to killing the victim after they fought.
"He said they were in a relationship and often met at his employer's villa where he worked as a cleaner," said the policeman.
Records show that, on the day of the incident, the defendant snuck his girlfriend into his room at the villa where the two had dinner before he left her to go to work.
The accused told officers that he returned to his room, had sex with the woman then had to leave again for work but she stopped him.
"He told us that she wanted them to sit and chat, but he told her he couldn't because he was afraid his employer would come to the room and find them together. She insisted then stopped him from leaving the room," the policeman said.
The officer said the woman began screaming so the defendant, fearing someone would hear her and tell his employer, "silenced her".

He grabbed the women by the neck and pushed her away so he could leave but she continued screaming at him, the policeman said.

"He became angry and strangled her, dragging her to the toilet and when he got there he slammed her head against the sink," the policeman said.
The officer said the accused panicked when he noticed his girlfriend was motionless. "He didn't know what to do and just threw her body out of his room window into the villa's garden," the policeman said.
In court on Sunday, the defendant admitted to having consensual sex with the woman but denied a charge of premeditated murder.

The next hearing will be held on November 5 when the court will appoint a lawyer for the accused.