Court adjourns roommate murder case

Mohammed Barakat, Staff Reporter

The Sharjah Criminal Court adjourned to May 5 the case of an Asian charged with murdering his roommate after an argument. The suspect reportedly stabbed the victim with a knife, claiming his life.

The suspect and the victim reportedly drank alcohol together in their flat when a verbal quarrel occurred, after which the suspect stabbed the victim in stomach and neck.

The court heard the testimony of the witness, a roommate, saying that when he was asleep, the suspect came to him with a knife in his hand and blood on his clothes, telling him he had killed his friend. The witness added that he then took the suspect to the police. The court faced the suspect with the charge, to which he confessed.

In another case, the Sharjah Criminal Court adjourned to April 28, the case of 19 suspects charged with possession of 15 vehicles stolen from a car rental office after forging the structure number and the licences to sell them for more than three million dirhams.

The first suspect told the court he only was a mediator in the sale and purchase of 11 vehicles, being a sales representative, denying knowing that the vehicles were stolen.

The second suspect denied modifying the vehicles’ structure numbers without the approval of the competent authorities. The third suspect confessed he owned only five vehicles of which he changed structure numbers.

 The fourth suspect confessed to buying 11 stolen vehicles from a car rental office and selling them to one of the suspects for more than Dhs4m. He denied that he knew about the changes made to the vehicles and also denied destroying the tracking devices attached.

The seventh suspect denied conniving with the others in the sale, purchase, forgery and possession of movable funds.

He claimed one of the suspects framed him because he asked him for Dhs1m. for a trade between them.The tenth suspect claimed he was a mediator in selling only five vehicles.

In another unrelated case, the Dubai criminal court on Sunday sentenced a 32-year-old Asian maid to three months in jail plus deportation on charges of stealing jewellery of her sponsor.

The victim, a 44-year-old British housewife, testified she trusted the suspect and allowed her to do whatever she liked at home but she took advantage of the trust and stole 4 gold necklace, a gold ring, a  gold chain, 4 gold emblems, an earring and 3 golden balls.