A man who pushed a large rock off the roof of an eight-storey building on to two friends below, killing one instantly and injuring the other, has been sentenced to life in jail.
The Indian, 25, and his two compatriots had been drinking at a farewell party for another man in Dubai on March 30 last year.
They moved on to a restaurant where the killer, a technician, argued with the manager and all three were kicked out. 
As they walked back to their accommodation in Jebel Ali, the man who later died, aged 24, blamed his compatriot for having them ejected and pushed him to the ground. The two left him there.
The technician returned to their building in the early hours of the morning and saw his friends sitting outside.
He went to the roof, found a large rock and dropped it directly on to his friends.
"After the rock landed on my friend’s head it hit my right leg," said the surviving victim, 27.
"I looked up and saw the defendant, who came a few minutes later, trying to help me. But I asked him to help our friend, who was unconscious and bleeding heavily from the head."
In court, the technician denied planning to kill his compatriots, although he admitted to having drunk alcohol before the incident. Dubai Criminal Court convicted him of premeditated murder and physical assault and sentenced him to life in prison, which in the UAE is usually 25 years.
He can appeal against the sentence within 15 days.

Source: The National