British editor pleads not guilty over wife's Dubai murder

Dubai - He was sentenced in March this year to 10 years in jail and deportation.

The trial of a Dubai British editor, convicted of assaulting his wife to death, continued with its first hearing held at the Court of Appeals on Sunday. The 61-year-old journalist maintained his not guilty plea as he appeared before the appellate court.
He was sentenced in March this year to 10 years in jail and deportation on a fatal assault charge. He had been referred by the public prosecution to court on a premeditated murder charge, but the Court of First Instance modified the charge and sentenced the accused accordingly following arguments by the defence lawyer.
Representing the editor, the lawyer, Ali Al Shamsi, stressed before that court that his client did not have the intention to kill his wife, 62. "There is no premeditation element in the case. The court listened earlier to three witnesses from the family who ascertained the couple had been leading a happy life.
"The forensic report also proved that there was no prior intention or any determination to kill the victim. My client assaulted his wife and it happened following a heated argument over some financial difficulties. He hit his wife but did not intend to kill her," Al Shamsi told the judges.
The lawyer also argued that the couple had been having financial problems and he had been under enormous pressure due to debts. "He was also shocked as to how things turned to when he tried to cover up the crime."
The case dates back to July 4, 2017, when the editor called the police to report that his wife was killed by thieves who broke into his villa in Umm Suqeim 1 while he was away.
However, the police found leads that suggested foul play. They confronted the husband with their findings and he eventually confessed to having assaulted his wife to death with a hammer following a heated argument, claiming it was not intentional.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai