Defence wants hearing of Kerry Winter murder case witnesses

Dubai: A court has ordered a further investigation into the whereabouts of two prosecution witnesses in the premeditated murder case of 36-year-old South African Kerry Winter.

The Dubai Appeals Court on Sunday requested the Dubai Public Prosecution to contact the General Department of Residency and Foreigners Affairs and enquire whether the two prosecution witnesses are still in the emirate.

"The court reconvenes on September 26 and the Public Prosecution has to contact the Department of Residency and Foreigners Affairs to confirm whether the two prosecution witnesses [who were not heard before the Court of First Instance] left the country," decided the presiding judge in courtroom 20 on Sunday.

In June, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the 43-year-old British manager, M.A., to 15 years in jail for battering Kerry with a baseball bat and killing her before he placed her body in a big bag, which he tied with weights and dumped in the ocean.

Hussain Al Jaziri, representing Winter's blood guardians in civil right, on Sunday asked the court to return the file to prosecutors to reinvestigate the fact that M.A. disposed Kerry's body.

"The defendant was only charged with and convicted of premeditated murder. M.A. got rid of the body and prosecutors did not look into that," argued Al Jaziri.

In an earlier hearing, Al Jaziri said his clients have requested the court to implement the Qasas [a Sharia term used to allow the blood parents the right to accept or reject a death sentence if it is handed down].