Dubai: Two farmers have been jailed for life each for decapitating their countryman with axes in a revenge killing after his brother murdered the brother of one of the assailants following a land dispute in their homeland.
The Pakistani families of one of the farmers and the co-worker victim had been in a land dispute that resulted in the co-worker’s brother killing the farmer’s brother.
Blinded by revenge, the 33-year-old Pakistani farmer, whose brother was killed in Pakistan, talked his 32-year-old countryman farmer to help him get rid of the co-worker.
For that purpose, the two farmers armed themselves with axes, blocked the way of the co-worker who was riding his bicycle in The Meadows, and repeatedly assaulted him with the axes until he died in December.
On Monday, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the defendants of premeditated murder although they had pleaded not guilty.
The defendants’ lawyer contended in court that the deceased had been constantly provoking the 33-year-old defendant [brother of the person who was killed in Pakistan] and bragged about the brother’s murder in Pakistan.
Presiding judge Urfan Omar said the accused will be deported following the completion of their punishments.
“Following the funeral in Pakistan, my client returned to Dubai. Since they work in gardening in the same gated community in Dubai, they met daily. My client repeatedly warned the victim to stop provoking him and boasting about the act of killing his brother. Despite having repeatedly warned the victim to stop inciting him, the 33-year-old defendant was under critical pressure which was aggravated by the victim’s insults and confrontational attitude when he hit him twice in the head and neck with an axe,” his lawyer argued in court.
A European resident was the first person to spot the victim’s partly decapitated body and informed the police about it.
The lawyer further defended that the accused constantly tried to avoid the victim and dodge his continuous attempts to provoke him about the death of his brother in their country.
“For nearly 20 days, he did so, until he failed to control himself and prevent himself from killing the victim. The 33-year-old did not have a premeditated intention to kill the victim … he had not planned that and it was a moment of anger. Obviously, he constantly carried an axe due to the nature of his job. We ask the court to treat him with utmost leniency,” said the lawyer.
Prosecutors had asked the court to hand out a death sentence against the murderers.
The 32-year-old accused did not have any motive to kill the victim and did not participate in the murder, said the lawyer.
On-site investigation revealed that the victim had been revengefully attacked and murdered as he was hit on his head and neck.
Preliminary police investigation revealed that the two defendants went to Al Ain after the crime and attempted to flee to Oman from there.
The duo’s attempt to cross the border was foiled and they were apprehended and handed over to Dubai Police.
Monday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
