Dubai: A court Wednesday upheld the death sentence against two Afghans after finding them guilty of stabbing a prostitute 23 times in a fatal premeditated attack.
Prosecutors accused the defendants, A.N., 40, and I.H., 30, of purchasing two knives for Dh26, repeatedly stabbing the Uzbek prostitute and stealing her mobile phone.
"The jury has unanimously agreed to uphold the appealed verdict [capital punishment] against the defendants," Dubai Appeals Court's Presiding Judge Mustafa Al Shennawi said in courtroom 20.
Primary verdict
In March, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the duo to death after they were found guilty of a premeditated murder associated with another crime [theft].
When the defendants appeared before the Appeals Court, they pleaded not guilty and claimed that they didn't intend to kill the victim but only to rob her.
Presiding Judge Al Shennawi rejected their appeal for leniency.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said A.N. and I.H. premeditatedly killed the woman and robbed her of Dh600, two mobile phones, a DVD player and perfumes.
"I intended to rob her. We quarrelled and I unintentionally killed her. It was not premeditated," argued A.N. when he defended himself in court.
I.H. also denied the premeditated murder charge.
The duo also denied the charge of locking up another Uzbek woman, N.A., 42, in the washroom of the victim's flat and running away.
Prosecution records said N.A. moved into the victim, M.H.'s, flat three days prior to the incident.
Roommate's testimony
N.A. testified: "The defendants brought fruit and came to spend the evening with us. She [M.H.] told me she had dated A.N. and they broke up several times because of jealousy. M.H. told me A.N. came to reconcile with her. M.H. took money from A.N. and she gave me Dh300… they went behind a curtain in the room to have sex. I.H. had sex with me. I woke up on hearing M.H.'s cries for help… I.H. threatened me with a knife… he prevented me from looking at what was happening. They locked me in the washroom. They threatened me with the knives and asked me where M.H. had hidden her money."
The verdict remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.
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