An Indian welder, who is accused of killing a compatriot, grabbed a bigger knife when the first one that he was attacking the victim with broke after 19 stabs, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

On January 20, co-workers of the victim MK noticed that the victim had not come to work. They called him on his mobile but there was no answer. Their knocks on his room’s door were unanswered though his shoes were seen outside the room.

They informed the accommodation supervisor who informed the guard and asked him to open the door with a spare key.

“I opened the door with a spare key. We were shocked to see that the room was full of blood. I found out that MK’s body was wrapped in a blanket under the two-storey bunk bed. We informed the police,” testified the guard.

Lieutenant Jamal Ibrahim testified that he could not enter into the room as all its floor was covered with blood. The victim’s body was under the bed wrapped in a blanket.

Forensic reported that the victim sustained 19 fatal stabs, along with some other wounds of defensive nature. Some of the stabs had passed through the temporal bones causing a fracture in the skull and cuts in the brain’s tissues.

“Apart from several stabs in the chest, belly and back of the deceased, the stab in the head was terrible. This was the first time in my profession that I came across such a brutal stab. Stabbing the skull is clear evidence that the attacker wanted to ensure death of his victim. Also, the attacker must have used two different knives as one was larger than the other,” reported forensic doctor Islam Abdul Salam.

Fingerprints lifted from a fridge in the room proved those to be of AS, 27, welder.

SR, 41, Indian blacksmith, told police that on January 20 at around 7am he called the victim but there was no answer.

“I went to his room and the door was locked. I called him again and I heard the ringing of his mobile. I thought he may have forgotten his mobile in the room. As there was no news from him, I cancelled an appointment that we were supposed to have with a new employer. I returned home and did not go to work.

“At around 7pm, I started getting worried about MK. Along with co-workers, I went to the guard and asked him to open the room’s door.  It was shocking to see the room covered with blood and the victim’s body under the bed. We did not touch anything, closed the door and informed the police,” testified the blacksmith.

Police arrested AS from his work place. The accused admitted to killing the victim by stabbing him with two knives.

“After stabbing him several times, the blade of the knife broke. I grabbed another knife that I saw was on top of the fridge. It was larger, I resumed stabbing him with it until I was sure of his death. I wrapped the body in a blanket and put it under the bed. I took a towel from the room and wrapped the knives in it before leaving the room and locking it from outside. I dumped the room’s key in the toilet. I took a bath and cleaned my dress of blood before going out and throwing the knives in two garbage bins in the area,” admitted the accused to police officers.

AS had some nail scratches and wounds in his face, arms and hands. A forensic doctor, who examined him, reported that his injuries could have happened in a quarrel.

The court adjourned the case until April 25 to summon the accused from jail.