UAE | Crime
SUV killer receives 10-year jail term
An Emirati who mowed down and killed a British woman with his Hummer will spend ten years in jail despite his lawyer claiming his actions were not premeditated.
- By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:27 November 27, 2008
Dubai: An Emirati who mowed down and killed a British woman with his Hummer will spend ten years in jail despite his lawyer claiming his actions were not premeditated.
The Public Prosecution charged the 26-year-old Emirati tradesman with premeditatedly killing the 52-year-old British woman. The Dubai Court of First Instance handed down the prison sentence.
The man's lawyer Abdul Moniem Bin Suwaidan told Gulf News he would appeal the ruling soon.
Presiding Judge Abdul Majid Al Nezamy also ordered the man, identified as U.A., to pay Dh20,100 in temporary compensation to the woman's husband, J.W., and referred the civil compensation claim to the Dubai Civil Court.
Unintentional
Bin Suwaidan earlier said his client unintentionally ran down the 52-year-old victim, C.W.
"He did not have any premeditated intentions as there was no acquaintance or relation between him and the victim and what happened was due to provocation," said his lawyer.
U.A. earlier denied before the court the charge of premeditatedly murdering C.W. after she stepped out of a cab. He also denied intentionally attempting to kill her 54-year-old husband, J.W., who is a project manager, and their friend, a 33-year-old Australian operations manager.
Public Prosecution records said the two men escaped death, but sustained injuries.
"Contrary to what the Public Prosecution mentioned in its arraignment sheet, the suspect ran down the deceased while backing up. No medical reports were available to confirm that the suspect injured the husband and his friend when he reportedly hit them with his sport utility vehicle and which was examined by the forensic laboratory and there were no signs of blood either on the wheels or the bumper," said Bin Suwaidan before Judge Al Nezamy.
Bin Suwaidan also asked the judge to drop the premeditated murder charge and charge his client with accidental killing or assault which led to death.
A Dubai police captain testified that U.A. turned himself in after police failed to find him.
The accused claimed during investigations that he could not avoid hitting the cab, which had stopped in the right lane. He alleged when he rammed the taxi and went on the pavement a number of Europeans walked towards him and yelled at him. He claimed he got frightened and drove away not noticing and unaware he had mowed down a woman, said the police captain.
The victim's husband said when they stepped out of the taxi U.A. mowed him down. Then he drove over his wife's body. The cab driver maintained he used his emergency lights when he stopped.
The initial verdict is still subject to appeal within 15 days.
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