Man jailed for killing roommate, court to hear appeal this month

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A man sentenced to life in prison on murder charges will have his appeal heard by the High Appeals Court on the 23rd of this month. The man, an African national, was found guilty of murdering his roommate and attempting to attack and kill six others, during a fight in their residence in the Ma’ameer area, over suspicion that they scammed him into accepting a job with unfair terms. The crimes reportedly occurred within 24-hours of the man landing in Bahrain on the job visa.

The defendant was awarded the life term by the Fourth High Criminal court. At that time, the head of the capital governorate prosecution also said that the man will be deported after serving the life term. Court files say the defendant came to Bahrain with a job offer secured with the help of one of his friends in his hometown.

For which the defendant told the court he also paid BD16,00 towards expenses. However, the defendant said he had agreed to sign only a three-month job contract, to which the signing company agreed. But, upon arrival in the Kingdom, the defendant told the court that things had gone haywire. First, there was no one at the airport to receive him, for which he had to wait for several hours.

Finally, when a representative arrived, he demanded to pay BD20 for accommodation. However, the defendant said he flew off the handle when the company forced him to sign a three-year contract instead of the previously agreed threemonths deal. Adding salt to his wounds, his roommates reportedly mistreated him, prompting him to become hostile. He confessed to the court that his roommates’ behaviour worsened the situation.

“After the ordeal, I went back to the accommodation the company gave. “I was extremely thirsty and requested the roommate some water. “I asked one of them where I could get some water? “He, however, started shouting at me for no reason and soon we ended up fighting. “In a fit of rage, I took a knife and stabbed him multiple times,” the defendant told prosecutors. After coming into terms with the extent of the crime, he said, “I also tried to commit suicide by stabbing myself with the same knife.

“However, I could not succeed, as other roommates started attacking me.” “I tried to scare them away and attacked them with the knife, but they overpowered me and took the knife away from me.” During the trial, the defendant’s lawyer pleaded with the judge not to charge the man with premeditated murder. One of the witnesses, who was in a room opposite the victim’s room, had told the court he came out hearing screams. “I saw blood gushing from under the room’s door.

I also noticed bloodstains on the corridor between the rooms. When I came, the victim was lying face down in a pool of blood,” the witness said. Public Prosecution said they were alerted of the incident by Capital Governorate Police Directorate.