Pakistani man in UAE cleared of murder charge, needs to pay Dh200,000 blood money

Sharjah: The Sharjah Court of Appeal has acquitted a Pakistani man of murder after ruling that he was legally insane at the time of the crime, overturning a death sentence issued by the Court of First Instance.

The 33-year-old defendant was found to be suffering from severe schizophrenia, which deprived him of perception and control over his actions when he fatally attacked his supervisor, a 31-year-old compatriot, at their workplace in December 2021.

While the court cleared him of criminal responsibility, it ordered the payment of Dh200,000 in blood money (diyah) to the victim’s heirs and mandated his deportation from the UAE after the amount is settled. The court also awarded Dh5,000 to the defence lawyer for her services, to be drawn from the Public Treasury.

Investigations revealed that the defendant attacked his supervisor with an iron rod while he slept, causing fatal head injuries. Psychiatric reports presented during the trial confirmed that he suffered from active schizophrenia at the time of the incident, severely distorting his perception of reality.

Medical assessments showed that the defendant believed he had received a divine message through a bird instructing him to perform a religious sacrifice. In his delusional state, he targeted his supervisor not out of hostility but because he considered him a righteous man. He also claimed he was the original designer of Burj Khalifa, that jinn were moving his mobile phone, and that his social media accounts were hacked — all symptoms of his psychosis.

The defence, led by lawyer Suad Mohammad of Al Awami Al Mansoori Law Firm & Legal Consultance, played a pivotal role in securing the acquittal. She argued that the defendant’s schizophrenia, a chronic psychotic disorder characterised by delusions, hallucinations, and detachment from reality, made him incapable of understanding or controlling his actions.

Her meticulous presentation of psychiatric evidence, combined with legal arguments on mental incapacity, ensured that the court fully understood the defendant’s lack of criminal intent. She requested a detailed psychiatric assessment, which was conducted at Al Amal Hospital for Mental Health. The medical committee concluded that the defendant was “completely without perception or free will,” meeting the UAE Penal Code’s criteria for legal insanity under Article 62.

In April 2024, the Court of First Instance had convicted the defendant of premeditated murder and sentenced him to death under Sharai law (Qisas – capital punishment). Both the defence and prosecution appealed — the defence citing mental incapacity, the prosecution seeking to uphold the original ruling.

The Sharjah Court of Appeal accepted both appeals and cancelled the initial verdict. It ruled that the defendant could not be held criminally responsible due to his mental condition and acquitted him of all charges, while ensuring civil redress through the payment of diyah. The defendant will be deported after completing this payment.

The ruling highlights not only the importance of psychiatric evaluations in criminal cases but also the critical role lawyers play in protecting the rights of defendants, particularly in complex cases involving mental health.