Dubai A convict, who asphyxiated a prostitute after a fight over her sex fees and left her body beside Al Wasl Football Club in 2002, is petitioning for early release.

In January 2002, the then 37-year-old Indian accused picked up the Uzbek woman in his car and had sex with her. After that he had a fight with her over fees on which he smothered her and hit her in the back of her head with a hard object.

The accused then threw her body from his car behind the Al Wasl Football Club and drove off after stealing her mobile phone.

In 2002, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the accused of having consensual sex with the woman, intentionally killing her and stealing mobile phone.

The accused was handed a life sentence, the judgement which was later upheld by the Courts of Appeal and Cassation respectively.

Having completed more than 15 years of his life sentence, the convict lodged a second petition within one year and sought an early release.

“I am seeking mercy. This is my second petition beseeching for leniency and forgiveness and be allowed to return home,” the petitioner contended before the presiding judge.

In May 2017, the Courts of First Instance rejected the petitioner’s first plea.

According to the Criminal Procedures Law, the accused had to wait for one year [since the rejection of his first petition] to be able to lodge his second plea on grounds of good behaviour and repentance for his crime.

The convict based his petition on Article 1/45 of the Federal Law No. 43 of 1992, concerning regulating punitive and correctional establishments. The law stipulates that a convict, who has served 15 years of a life sentence (25 years), is permitted to file a special petition and be pardoned from serving what is left from the punishment.

The petitioner obtained a good behaviour certificate, as per prosecution records, and a recommendation for his release issued by the management of Dubai Central Jail.

The defendant had sex with the victim thrice before he strangulated her and killed her.

Dubai Police’s forensic examiner said the accused had suffocated the woman with his hands and hit on the back of her head with a hard object.

The court’s decision is expected on July 31.