Duo jailed for causing Pakistani worker's heart attack in Dubai

Dubai - They will be deported after serving their jail term.

A Dubai court has sentenced two men to three years each in prison for assaulting a Pakistani construction worker, and causing his death unintentionally.
The public prosecution records show the two men, a Bangladeshi and a Pakistani, aged 34 and 22, physically assaulted the victim. One of them punched him while the other grabbed him and then fell on him.
The men, a mechanic and a construction worker, denied a charge of assault that caused the victim's death. The Court of First Instance convicted them of the charge and ordered their deportation afterwards. While the first accused claimed he was just acting in self-defence, the other defendant claimed he just stepped in to break a fight and the victim fell down and he fell on him accidentally.
The fatal assault incident that took place on April 3 was reported to Bur Dubai police station.
A policeman, who reported to the crime scene with his colleague, said: "We were on a patrol duty at 3.30pm when we were alerted about a problem at a construction site of a contracting firm in the Business Bay. The man, who made the call to the police, took us to the level 25 where we talked to the two defendants."
The first accused told the police officers he was just joking with the victim, which upset the latter. A brawl soon ensued and it evolved into a physical fight. When the other accused stepped in to break the fight, the victim lost balance and fell down.
The second accused fell on him by accident and caused him short of breath. The victim was rushed to hospital where he was shortly pronounced dead. The duo can appeal the verdict within 15 days.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai