Dubai Appeal Court upholds death sentence
Driver had killed his countryman after locking him in a refrigerated truck for four hours
Dubai: A driver remains on the death row after a court upheld his death sentence for premeditatedly slitting his friend's neck and cold-bloodedly killing him over a financial dispute.
The Dubai Appeal Court confirmed the primary judgement (a death sentence) against the 23-year-old Bangladeshi accused, M.C., who was pronounced guilty of committing a premeditated murder associated with theft.
Pronouncing yesterday's judgement in courtroom 20, Presiding Judge Mustafa Al Shennawi said: "The court rejected M.C.'s plea to overturn his primary judgment as the death sentence has been unanimously upheld against him."
Senior Chief Prosecutor Sami Al Shamsi, Head of Bur Dubai Prosecution, asked the court to implement a capital punishment against M.C. Prosecutors said the accused planned the manslaughter after he deceivingly convinced M.Y., his countryman, to meet him behind the Gold Souq to resolve their financial dispute.
When the M.Y. arrived at a sandy spot, M.C. kicked him hard on his private parts and when the latter collapsed he locked him up for four hours inside a refrigerated truck used to transport fish.
M.C. drove the truck to an area near a mosque on the Dubai-Al Ain Road. After parking it in front of the mosque, he pulled out the victim whose eyes were still blinking and stabbed him in the back and chest before slitting his neck.
The judgement is subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.
When the accused defended himself before the appellate court, he said: "I did not intend to kill him. It was a mutual assault and we exchanged blows. I don't remember what happened because I was drunk."
Prosecutors said the accused plotted the murder and bought a knife to carry out the attack. He was charged with premeditatedly murdering his countryman, M.Y., and robbing him.
M.C. was additionally charged with threatening to kill M.Y.'s cousin, who informed the police after he found that his cousin was missing.
Police arrested the defendant over suspicion of involvement in the murder immediately after the cousin reported the police.
The victim's cousin testified that the financial dispute developed after M.Y. paid Dh16,000 to M.C. to bring him to work in Dubai.
