Dubai: Two brothers have been jailed for running down a man in their sports utility vehicle (SUV) and killing him although they claimed it was an accident.
Prosecutors said after the Emirati brothers, 23-year-old S.O. and 21-year-old E.O., failed to attack the victim with sharp tools, they chased him with their SUV up and down Algeria Road before they knocked him down.
The Dubai Court of First Instance jailed S.O. for 10 years and E.O. for three years.
The younger brother was handed a lenient sentence due to his young age [under 21].
Prosecution records said the victim H.S., from Comoros Islands, was run over and his body dragged underneath the SUV for nearly 15 metres on June 29, 2012.
Defence lawyers contended before the court that the brothers did not have any intention to murder the victim and that the accident was an accident.
Advocates argued that the victim had already been involved in a previous fight with the defendants.
The Emirati brothers claimed that they did not have a premeditated intention to kill H.S.
“What happened was an accident,” S.O. told presiding judge Ali Attiyah Sa’ad
His younger brother maintained the same argument.
Prosecutors said S.O. drove the SUV meanwhile E.O. aided and guided him while they chased the victim and carried out the murder.
Records quoted prosecution witnesses claiming that the defendants drove their car dangerously and at a speed of 100 km/h in a small street where the speed limit is 40 km/h.
Witnesses also said the defendants tried to run over H.S. who happened to be standing with a group of men around 6am. Four witnesses testified that the SUV hit two cars while zigzagging up and down the street and chasing the victim, who was run over and dragged nearly 15 metres.
An Emirati policewoman, who lives in the neighbourhood, said she called the police when she saw the SUV running over the victim from the window.
An Emirati police corporal claimed that when he arrived at the murder scene he spotted a group of men gathered around the victim’s body.
“Paramedics couldn’t resuscitate the victim. A group of men tried to attack S.O., who was handcuffed and kept inside a police car. Some cars were wrecked and I saw an injury in the victim’s leg. The SUV was also damaged from several sides and its rear window was smashed. Witnesses claimed that the SUV driver tried to knock them down altogether when H.S. was standing with them,” the corporal claimed.
Prosecution records said the defendants carried sharp-edged weapons and stepped out of their SUV when they first tried to attack the victim. When the latter escaped on foot, they chased him by the car and killed him.
Monday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
