Dubai sentences British editor to 10 years in jail for killing wife

  DUBAI -  A Dubai court on Sunday sentenced a 61-year-old British journalist to 10 years in jail followed by deportation for killing his wife with a hammer. The Dubai Court of First Instance modified the main charge against Francis Matthew from premeditated murder to "beating which led to death" of fellow Briton Jane Matthew, 63. Jane Matthew's brother said in a statement issued after Sunday's court session that the family was disappointed with the sentence. Matthew - who was editor-at-large of Gulf News at the time of his arrest - was not present at the court to hear the verdict, which remains subject to appeal within 15 days. In a previous hearing in February, his lawyer was quoted by local media as saying that Matthew had a moment of "temporary insanity" when he hit his wife with a hammer to the head during a row about financial problems. The incident on July 4, 2017 happened at the couple's villa in Umm Suqueim. The defence lawyer went on to say that Matthew's wife provoked him and called him a "bad person and that he had to make more money" after he allegedly told her they needed to move to a smaller residence due to debts. Matthew served as editor of Gulf News from 1995 to 2005 before becoming editor-at-large of the newspaper. He had been married to his wife for more than 30 years.

Cover up attempt

On July 4, Dubai Police said they were called to Matthew's home in Jumeirah at 5:45pm where they found his wife dead in bed with a severe head wound. Forensic experts would later say she died from two blows to the head with a hammer. Police said Matthew initially claimed that his wife was attacked by robbers and killed her while he was at work. He also made it appear like the house was robbed, scattering valuables from their safe. However, police suspected his involvement and during interrogation, he admitted that he killed her with a hammer from the kitchen after he followed her to the bedroom. He also told police that he disposed of the murder weapon in a garbage bin away from their villa. A forensic expert testified that the victim sustained bruises around her mouth and upper lip, indicating that she was forcefully silenced. The court heard the testimonies of four Emirati police officers, a Sri Lankan gardener and an Egyptian forensic expert.

'Justice not yet done'

According to Sunday's verdict, Mathew will be deported after serving 10 years in jail. Jane Matthew's brother, however, relayed the family's disappointment following Sunday's ruling. "We feel that justice has not yet been done as we realise that the actual sentence served may be less than the 10-year sentence. We hope that this sentence is changed on appeal," Peter Manning was quoted as saying by The National. Here's his full statement: "We attended the Dubai Courts today, and our family has been saddened by the sentence given to Francis Matthew, Jane’s killer. We believe the facts clearly demonstrate that this crime was a deliberate act. In the defendant’s own version of events, he collected the murder weapon, a hammer, in the kitchen and carried it down two corridors of the house to the bedroom. There was time for him to consider his actions; instead he delivered two hammer blows to the front of Jane’s head. He made no attempt to call an ambulance afterwards. We also know, contrary to the defence’s argument, that Jane had been aware for months that the villa was due for demolition. The defendant has admitted that rows over money had occurred frequently for some time. Ongoing arguments, about money or a house, can arise in any marriage and cannot justify this killing. Jane was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and aunt. Losing her in such a brutal manner has left the family both bewildered and shocked. We feel that justice has not yet been done as we realise that the actual sentence served may be less than the 10 year sentence. We hope that this sentence is changed on appeal." ICA/Expat 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