Dubai: A judge asked a courtroom full of lawyers for one of them to volunteer to defend a suspect charged with premeditated murder associated with the rape of a four-year-old boy.
Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir spent a few minutes looking at lawyers present in the Dubai Court of First Instance, where the trial of 30-year-old Emirati R.R., charged with the intentional killing associated with the rape of four-year-old M.M., a Pakistani, started on Wednesday.
Advocate Mohammad Al Sa'adi volunteered to defend R.R., who at the beginning of the trial pleaded not guilty and denied the charge of premeditated murder claiming that he did not intend to kill the boy.
The suspect, who seemed perplexed in his black outfit, defended himself with a murmur: "I had consensual sex with him … it was not against his will."
Although a court usually assigns a lawyer to defend suspects facing life or capital punishment after levelling charges against them during their first appearance before a jury, Wednesday's jury had pre-assigned advocate Hamed Al Khazraji to defend R.R.
‘Gruesome sins'
"Due to many factors such as the suspect's detailed confession of the crime, his criminal record, the victim's age, the gruesome nature of the crime and the fact that it was committed in a holy place, a mosque, we have decided to excuse ourselves from defending R.R. We consider the defendant a disgrace upon humanity for his gruesome sins as he committed this horrendous crime on the first day of Eid Al Adha," said Al Khazraji when he submitted a written apology to the jury.
Presiding Judge Mounir asked: "Would any of the lawyers present be interested in volunteering to defend the suspect?"
More than 200 curious attendees, including lawyers, journalists, court staff and employees, gathered in courtroom four to attend yesterday's trial.
More than 50 policemen, jail guards and wardens and special police force and anti-riot police personnel were also inside the courtroom.
Description
Standing in the dock surrounded by eight policemen, R.R. was asked by the judge to spell out his full name, place of birth, his address and job description.
"My name is R.R.R. Born in Bahrain. [I] Live in Dubai. I work as a boat captain," he told the three-judge panel, including Presiding Judge Mounir and member judges Dr Ali Al Galadari and Mansour Al Awadi.
After the judge waited a few minutes for a lawyer to volunteer to defend the suspect, advocate Al Sa'adi stood up and said: "Everybody refrains from handling such a case. The suspect committed a ghastly crime to which he confessed during questioning by police and the public prosecution. If he pleads for forgiveness, I will defend him…"
"I refuse to pressure or push any suspect to confess," replied the judge asking Al Sa'adi to sit down.
A few more minutes of silence passed before Al Sa'adi stood up again and asked the judge: "Am I allowed to speak to R.R. and offer him legal advice?"
The judge approved Al Sa'adi's request. The lawyer was spotted walking towards the suspect and he could be heard telling him: "I have been appointed by the court to defend you. But I have to ask you first, did you commit this crime?"
R.R. then said he did commit the crime. The advocate then asked him to admit his guilt before the jury and ask for forgiveness and mercy.
R.R. collapsed in tears and said: "The confessions are true I am guilty. I killed him after I raped him. I hope you forgive me for my mistake."
The suspect was also spotted turning his head towards the victim's uncle and saying: "Forgive me for what I did."
Justice
Al Sa'adi deliberated in court: "Your honour what really prompted me to handle this case is to allow the law enforcement procedures and court proceedings to be fulfilled and carried out lawfully. Justice has got to be served. An advocate has got to defend the suspect. Everybody seeks to apply justice and the rule of law is what applies in the UAE."
R.R. shed more tears and drew his palms towards his face and cried: "I ask God for forgiveness and mercy."
Presiding Judge Mounir told the suspect: "Take a deep breath and calm down… I need to ask you a few questions."
Replying to the judge's questions, R.R. claimed: "I was having sex with him, but I didn't intend to kill him… I was frightened when someone tried to enter the washroom. I was absent-minded because of alcohol. I smothered him to prevent him from shouting and banged his head twice on the floor. I left him on the floor and left without confirming whether he had died or nor."
Senior Prosecutor Yaqoub Al Hammadi asked the court to implement capital punishment against R.R. The court reconvenes on December 30 to hear prosecution witnesses.
