Asian man charged with murdering roommate pleads not guilty

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A 40-year-old Asian man appeared before the High Criminal Court yesterday, charged with the murder of his roommate.

The defendant claims he was intoxicated and not in his right mind at the time of the crime, appealing not guilty.

The incident stemmed from an earlier altercation between the victim and the defendant’s older brother, which involved insults directed at the defendant’s mother and sister.

The victim and the defendant had known each other for over a decade, having worked together in several Arab countries before relocating to Bahrain.

They shared accommodation with other workers.

The argument between the victim and the defendant’s brother involved a car and escalated into verbal abuse.

The defendant, who had been drinking alcohol at the time of the initial argument, returned to the accommodation later and was informed of the incident and the insults.

Knife

Enraged, he retrieved a knife from the kitchen.

Upon returning to the room where the victim was located, a confrontation ensued.

Despite attempts by other roommates to intervene, the defendant stabbed the victim in the chest, resulting in his death.

The victim’s last words were reportedly a plea to his roommates to restrain the attacker.

During the investigation, the defendant confessed to the crime, stating that he had consumed alcohol and acted out of anger due to the insults directed at his family members.

He claimed to have wandered the streets after the incident, before being apprehended.

The Public Prosecution charged the defendant with premeditated murder, citing his intent to kill the victim after learning of the earlier altercation and subsequent insults.

The prosecution also included charges of assault against another individual who sustained injuries during the incident.

Intoxication

The defendant pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance, attributing his actions to intoxication. T

he court adjourned the case until December 9th to allow the defendant’s lawyer time to review the case file and prepare a response.

The defendant was granted access to copies of the court documents.