Emirati 'chokes neighbour to death' over barmaid

A drugged Emirati walking his pet monkey poured sand into his neighbour's mouth, choking him to death, in a dispute over a barmaid, The National daily reported on its website on Tuesday. "A drugged-up man walking his monkey kicked his neighbour to the ground, bit his nose and poured sand into his mouth before leaving him to die in a dispute over a barmaid," the daily said. The two men had an argument over the woman -- the victim's girlfriend -- as the defendant, identified by the daily as 31-year-old SE, was walking his monkey. SE told the Dubai Criminal Court his neighbour "attacked him with a razor blade and slashed his head" as he was "tying his monkey to a pole" before spraying sand in his face and poking him in the eye. The defendant responded by punching him in the face and kicking him. "Then I bit his nose and put some sand into his mouth," he testified. The man took his monkey and fled after he noticed his neighbour's condition deteriorating, the newspaper added. He "admitted charges of assaulting the safety of his neighbour while under the influence of drugs and of assault that lead to death," it said, adding that the verdict is expected on November 27.