UAE: MURDERERS SPARED THE DEATH SENTENCE

February 5, 2012: two murderers were spared execution in UAE when a court commuted their death sentence to 15 years in jail for premeditatedly murdering a man and burning his body.
The Dubai Appeal Court overturned the initial death sentence and jailed the Indian defendants, a 37-year-old driver and a 27-year-old supervisor, for committing a premeditated murder associated with another crime.
"The court has dismissed the public prosecution's appeal and accepted that of the defendants.
"The death penalty has been cancelled and the defendants will spend 15 years in jail each," said Presiding Judge Eisa Al Sharif in courtroom 20.
"The two accused obtained a written waiver from the blood parents. They handed a copy to the court. Mainly that was why the panel of judges treated the defendants with leniency and reduced the capital punishment to a 15-year imprisonment," Presiding Judge Al Sharif told Gulf News yesterday.
According to the arraignment sheet, prosecutors said 37-year-old A.A. and 27-year-old H.M. planned their crime and bought knives for the purpose of killing the Indian man, M.M.
stabbed to death.
Prosecution records said the defendants invited the victim to H.M.'s flat where they served him liquor until he fell unconscious.
They repeatedly stabbed M.M. to death before putting his body in a bag and hiding it in the boot of the victim's car.
Then they were said to have parked the car in the Sharjah Industrial Area. Prosecutors said the defendants stole the victim's mobile phone and wallet containing Dh500.
When the accused defended themselves before the appellate court, they pleaded not guilty claiming they had no intention to kill M.M.
An Emirati police captain said the victim's body was discovered when his car was found burning.
"A bad smell came out of the car when it was found burning.
"We summoned every person related to the victim. It was discovered that the victim was a close friend of H.M... H.M. admitted that A.A. and the victim worked together in processing visas.
"We summoned A.A. He confessed that they bought the knives and jute bag from a grocery store, then they went to H.M.'s in Hamriya."
The judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days. (Sources: gulfnews.com, 06/02/2012)