Husband denied access to wife on her deathbed

Dubai: Joseph Abotal's thoughts rush from his children back in the Philippines to that fateful day when his wife, on a visit here, was sitting next to him in his car. Moments later, his car hit a lamp post and overturned. He was arrested and taken to jail and his wife admitted to hospital with serious injuries.

"I used to tell her over the phone from jail that I love her and that she would be okay and she would soon be back with our children," the 35-year-old Filipino said. But that was not to be.

Abotal said he begged to see his wife Imelda, 34, in hospital, but all he has is memories, some happy, some very bitter.

"I was not drunk as it was 7am when the accident happened near Century Mall. I did have some alcohol the night before," he said.

"I [got] out of the car to help my wife. My wife said to me that she could not move her body," he said. "I never saw my wife after that."

He said he used to call the hospital from jail. Nurses at the intensive care unit used to hold the phone near his wife's ear so she could listen to him, but she was not able to talk.

Joseph was detained at Al Muraqqabat police station for 25 days, while his wife was in ICU. He said all his pleas to see her were ignored.

"I wrote a letter to the head of the police station to let me see her. She had an operation 10 days ago. Her health was becoming worse every day. She died alone," he said.

"My wife had come on a three-month visit visa and then she left [for] home for one month. I brought her again on another three-month visit visa to be with me," he said.

Abotal who has been working for a private company in Dubai for a year, has three young children.

"I told police that my wife's health was deteriorating. I asked for bail from the public prosecutor twice, but I did not receive any response," Abotal said.

The Dubai Public Prosecution said it did not know of the matter, but granted Abotal bail when told that he was in prison.

Abotal is out today, but his world has changed. "I do not know what I will do now," he said. He is haunted by the fact that he never saw his wife as she lay dying.