Dubai: A woman who stabbed her co-worker to death because she called her crazy — and then stabbed herself in the neck with a meat skewer — has escaped the death sentence after appeal court judges failed to reach a decision. Her sentence was reduced to life imprisonment.

Prosecutors accused the 28-year-old Ethiopian housemaid of stabbing her countrywoman co-worker, H.S., 35 times before trying to slit her own throat with a meat skewer.

Prosecution records said F.Y. stabbed H.S. repeatedly with a kitchen knife following a brawl, the reasons for which remain unclear.

The attack happened inside the laundry room of a villa in the Al Bida’a area on July 9.

The defendant entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Appeal Court.

Records said the accused was taken to hospital with a meat skewer in her neck.

Court records said F.Y. decided to kill H.S. because the latter mocked and talked about her with co-workers at their sponsor’s villa.

The defendant confessed that the victim incited Indian workers to mock her and call her crazy. So she took two knives and waited for H.S. in the washroom.

Records said the Indian workers used to call F.Y. ‘pagal’ (crazy in Hindi). The defendant asked one of her Ethiopian colleagues what pagal meant, but her co-worker asked her to mind her own business, however, when she realised its meaning she decided to take revenge.

Records said F.Y. woke up early and took two knives from the kitchen. She hid the knives in a towel and went to the laundry room. She pretended to be cleaning to avoid suspicion. She stabbed H.S. ten times in her neck and chest and stomach. She stabbed her hands while H.S. was protecting herself. When she made sure that H.S. was dead, she stabbed herself with a meat skewer.

Meanwhile the Dubai Misdemeanour Court fined F.Y. Dh1,000 for attempting to kill herself.

The prosecution produced ten witnesses, none of whom identified the motive behind the murder. However, the defendant was cited admitting that she killed H.S.

The Dubai Appeal Court ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 28 days.