Dubai: A court has stiffened the punishment of the drunk-driver who killed former Arab triathlon champion Roy Nasr, in an accident, by fining him Dh5,000 and suspending his driving licence for six months.
In September, the Dubai Traffic Misdemeanour Court jailed the 24-year-old Filipino driver, W.J., for a month and ordered him to pay Dh200,000 in blood money to Nasr’s family after was found guilty. His licence was also suspended for three months.
On Thursday the Dubai Appeal Court slapped W.J., who had pleaded guilty, an extra fine of Dh5,000 and lengthened the period of his licence’s suspension from three to six months.
“The court has decided that it is enough for the defendant to have spent a month in jail. He will have to pay Dh5,000 in fine and Dh200,000 in blood money to the deceased’s family,” said presiding judge Aysar Fouad in courtroom 20.
The Filipino convict had expressed his “sincere apologies” for causing Nasr’s death and requested to be released from confinement to settle the blood money’s payment.
“I apologise to the victim’s family for their loss. I convey my deep condolences,” the 24-year-old employee, W.J., told the appellate court when he pleaded for leniency.
Prosecutors appealed the primary judgement and sought a stiffer punishment for the defendant. Records show that the blood money had not yet been deposited in the court’s treasury.
Thursday’s judgement remains subject to appeal within 30 days.
W.J. was accused of drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol before he ran over a group of three cyclists, including Nasr, on a Friday near the Safa Park interchange.
The Filipino was charged with causing the accidental death of Nasr and causing moderate injuries to his fellow cyclists, Briton S.Z. and American A.T.
W.J. was also accused of wrecking a car and the bicycles.
