Egyptian gets death sentence for killing his 6 kids, wife

Cairo: An Egyptian court had passed an initial death sentence against a man convicted of murdering his six children and wife five months ago in a crime that shocked the country.

The Criminal Court in the southern city of Fayyoum said it will send the ruling to the Mufti of the Republic, the country's top Islamic authority, a routine procedure in cases involving death sentences in Egypt. The court has set December 2 for delivering a final verdict in the case.

When the trial opened last month, the 34-year-old defendant told the court he did not want a defence lawyer and asked for a final ruling without postponement, local media reported.

The case dates back to last May when the convict, owner of a bakery, laced juice with sleeping pills for his wife and the six children before he killed them with a knife one after the other allegedly due to his financial problems, according to local media. The debt-ridden man later attempted to take his own life. But he was rescued and handed over to police.

The seven bodies, including eight-month twins, were found inside the family’s house in a village in Fayyoum.