Dubai: Prosecutors lost their appeal against a woman and her family friend, who were both cleared of beating the woman’s husband and causing his death following a drinking party.

The incident happened when the Pakistani family friend, A.W., went to visit his countryman, A.B., and Pakistani wife at their residence in Hor Al Anz. The friend, A.W., and the victim. A.B., indulged in a four-hour drinking binge, during which they had a heated argument and a fight which led to the husband’s demise in October 2015.

In June, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted A.W. and the wife, S.S., of assaulting the husband and being responsible for his death.

However, A.W. was jailed for six months and fined Dh5,000 for beating the victim [without causing his death]. He was also fined Dh2,000 for drinking. Prosecutors appealed the verdict and sought to have the defendants’ acquittal overturned and punished for the husband’s death.

Presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm rejected prosecutors’ appeal and upheld the primary judgement.

According to Wednesday’s ruling, the accused A.W. will be deported following the completion of his punishment.

Once they reached the flat, paramedics could not resuscitate A.B., who was found dead shortly after an ambulance was dispatched to the location.

The suspects [wife and family friend] had pleaded innocent.

Records said A.W. and S.S. beat the husband on his stomach and caused him to bleed internally that led to his death.

Dubai Police’s forensic examiner confirmed that the husband died of internal bleeding [caused by gashed intestines].

“I did not touch my husband. I could not have done such a thing. He is my husband, the father of my kids,” argued S.S.

A.W. confessed that he consumed alcohol but denied beating the husband and being responsible for his death.

A Pakistani driver said the housewife asked him over the phone to go to their house to take her sick husband to hospital.

“She told me that he had consumed too much liquor and fallen ill … 15 minutes later, she called me again and told me that her husband’s situation had worsened and that I had to rush him to hospital immediately. I reached their home in 10 minutes and A.B. was on the floor. He was not responsive and it seemed like he had stopped breathing. Then police and an ambulance came. The next day S.S. told me over the phone that her husband had died,” he testified to prosecutors.

A police lieutenant said the incident happened after the victim invited his friend [A.W.] for a drink at his residence.

“The wife claimed to me that A.W. constantly visited them to drink with her husband. She said A.B. and A.W. started drinking at 6pm before her husband asked her to cook dinner. She claimed that after they had dinner, they continued drinking until around 10pm. When A.W. went to the washroom, according to S.S.’s statement, her husband followed him and he had a panic attack like he usually has when he drinks. She claimed that she left them and went up to the roof and, when she returned after an hour, she found her husband down on the floor. She claimed that she slept beside him and when she realised that his hands and legs were cold, she called the driver for help,” stated the lieutenant.

Wednesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.