The couple fought over inability to have children, defendant says
Dubai: A businessman lost his appeal on Wednesday and will be jailed for life for killing his wife.
The 40-year-old Indian businessman, S.K., constantly fought with his wife over their inability to have children.
The husband then ended his wife’s life by choking her while she was sleeping in January until she fell unconscious. Then he slit her throat with a knife.
He attempted suicide using the same knife.
In February, the Dubai Court of First Instance jailed S.K. for life for the murder of his wife and handed him three months in jail for attempted suicide.
The Dubai Appeal Court upheld the defendant’s life sentence over his late wife’s murder later.
When he showed up before the appellate court, the accused pleaded guilty and sought mercy, requesting the court to reduce his punishment.
According to Wednesday’s ruling, presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm also confirmed S.K.’s three-month imprisonment.
“The accused will be deported following the completion of his punishment. The murder weapon will be confiscated,” he said.
A police captain testified in court that the Dubai Police operations room was informed about a murder in a residential building in Al Manama area.
“We arrived at the crime scene. The husband was seen beside the door of the flat and his clothes were stained with blood. He seemed to have tried to kill himself. We entered the studio and found the woman on the floor beside the bed. Paramedics rushed her to hospital where she was pronounced dead. The defendant was also taken to hospital to treat the neck injury he had caused himself when he attempted suicide. The defendant was questioned once his medical condition improved. He said their problems started once his late wife’s residency became subject to renewal. He admitted she constantly pushed him to make her pregnant because she wanted to have children despite having been told by the doctor that S.K. suffered from infertility.
“Three days before the murder, S.K. said he decided to kill himself. When he said he got worried that his wife would be lonely, he decided to kill her as well before committing suicide. According to S.K.’s confession, he choked his wife, M.D., with his hands while she was sleeping until she became unconscious. He then slit her throat with a knife and killed her. Then he bent over the bed and put the knife’s blade to his neck and tried to cut his neck. He claimed when he felt severe pain and blood gushed out, he threw away the knife. He then phoned the police,” said the captain.
The appellate ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.
