Married man 'stabbed mistress' 20 times

DUBAI // A married man tried to murder his mistress by stabbing her more than 20 times when she ended their love affair, a court heard on Monday.

MN, 41, a computer programmer, was charged with premeditated attempted murder at the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance. He was also accused of consuming alcohol and causing the 23-year-old Filipina receptionist, MS, grievous bodily injuries, as well as assaulting two men who tried to stop him.

MS told prosecutors that on August 4, MN entered the reception area where she worked and walked towards her. MN had been drinking and smelled of alcohol, she said. She asked MN, who is Indian, what he wanted and he told her that he wanted to speak with her. When MS said she would talk to him later because he had been drinking, MN complained that she had not been picking up her phone to take his calls.

She repeated that she would speak with him outside of office hours and not while she was at work. MS went back to her seat and noticed MN striding towards her. When she stood up, he held her shoulder and proceeded to stab her 20 times in the abdomen with a medium-sized kitchen knife. MS told prosecutors that when she dropped to her knees in shock MN then proceeded to stab her several times in the back. She claimed MN also tried to stab her in the chest but she blocked the attempt with her left arm, which he injured.

MS screamed until colleagues came to her aid. One of the men, IK, tried to hold MN back but he hurt his right hand, while another colleague, BM, was stabbed in the stomach, the court heard. BM told prosecutors he heard MS screaming for help. When he went out to find out what was happening, he saw that MN was stabbing her as she lay on the floor bleeding. IK finally was able to grab MN and he asked other colleagues to help restrain him, which they did and then the police were called.

MN told the judge, Hamad Abdel Latif, that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident but did not intend to kill MS, but no formal pleas were entered. The case was adjourned until November 8.

balqabbani@thenational.ae