Man sentenced to six months in Dubai jail for attacking colleague with cleaver

DUBAI // A labourer who attacked his colleague with a meat cleaver have been sentenced to six months in prison and fined Dh2,000.

MS, 36, from Bangladesh, sank the cleaver into the back of his compatriot MA, 28, in a dispute over Dh30,000. The blow left a 35-cm wound in the man's back and knocked him unconscious, but he was saved when a passerby found him and alerted authorities.

The Criminal Court heard that the younger man paid the money on the understanding that the older man would provide his family with visit visas.

"I contacted him and he claimed his name was Muhsin. We agreed that he would issue four visas for my family members and I paid him Dh30,000 for that purpose," recalled the younger man.

But when he received the visas he found out they were forged, so he called the older man and demanded his money back.

The older man told him to visit his house to discuss the issue.

"He asked me to come into the house but I declined and insisted he repay me," said the younger man.

When the older man continued to refuse to repay him the younger man turned and walked away. The older man than struck him on the back with the cleaver, leaving the weapon embedded in his back.

The younger man fell unconscious but woke a few minutes later and began screaming. This alerted the passerby SA, also from Bangladesh, who heard the screams and went to investigate, finding the man shortly after.

"He wasn't walking straight so I thought he was drunk and asked him to leave but he kept seeking help. Then he fell on the ground and I saw he was bleeding heavily and had a cleaver stuck in his back," recalled the passerby.

The attack occurred in March 2012.

salamir@thenational.ae