Francis Matthew, Gulf News editor-at-large, pleads not guilty to murder charges

  DUBAI – Prosecutors in the premeditated murder case involving Gulf News editor-at-large Francis Matthew will seek the death penalty for the Dubai-based British journalist for allegedly killing his wife in July, reports said. This as Matthew pleaded not guilty to the premeditated murder of his wife, Jane, in their Jumeirah home in July. "I'm not guilty," the 61-year-old Matthew told Dubai Criminal Court presiding judge Erfan Omar Atteyah. Reports quoted the prosecutors as saying that they will seek the death penalty on Mr. Matthew if he is convicted of murdering his 62-year-old wife. Four Emirati police officers, a Sri Lankan gardener and an Egyptian forensic scientist testified in Wednesday's trial of Mr. Matthew. One of the policemen, a 50-year-old lieutenant colonel, said Mr. Matthew called the police to his home late afternoon of July 4 to report that his wife had been killed, after which a police team, paramedics and forensic experts arrived at the Matthews' villa. The policeman said when they arrived in the villa, Mr. Matthew told them that he left for work at about 8 a.m. and got home at 5 p.m. after which he found his wife already dead. The police officer said they found drops of blood in the corridor leading to the room where Mrs. Matthew's body was found. Mrs. Matthew was found in the bedroom in a pool of blood and she had a severe wound on the head. He also said Mrs. Matthew was undressed and her belongings were scattered in the room. A safe was also found on the floor, which Mr. Matthew claimed, was knocked over by thieves. The police officer said further that they suspected that Mr. Matthew killed his wife so they asked him to go to the criminal investigation department for questioning. Mr. Matthew denied killing Mrs. Matthew but according to police, he later admitted hitting Mrs. Matthew twice on the head with a hammer. Mr. Matthew allegedly told police that informed his wife that he was facing financial problems due to bank loans and because of that, they would have to relocate to a smaller place. The police lieutenant colonel said: "He told us that they had dinner then watched TV until 11 p.m. then they started arguing about his financial problems and about the victim's rejection to move out of the house during which he said she provoked him and called him a loser and that his responsibility was to provide money." According to the police officer, Mr. Matthew told them he didn't want to argue anymore with Mrs. Matthew so he went to bed. But at about 2.30 a.m, Mrs. Matthew woke up Mr. Matthew to argue again, prompting Mr. Matthew to leave the bedroom and sleep in the living room.
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The police officer testified further that Mr. Matthew was again awoken by his wife at 7 a.m. and she followed him into the kitchen to start an argument. When he tried to avoid arguing with her, she pushed him. The police lieutenant colonel said: "He told us that he got really angry, picked up a hammer from one of the shelves in the kitchen then followed her to the bedroom and hit her twice on her forehead while she was lying in her bed. He said he realized she was dead when she started bleeding heavily from the head and nose and, for a few minutes, he didn't know what to do. Then he decided to fake the surrounding (area) into a robbery scene, so he made a mess in the bedroom and in the rest of the house." The police officer said Mr. Matthew then took a shower, threw the hammer in a rubbish bin far from his villa then went to work and called police upon his return from his office. The three other police officers gave similar statements during the trial. The Sri Lankan gardener, for his part, recalled meeting Mr. Matthew at 7.30 a.m. on the day of the incident as he was leaving for work and that they talked about the weather. "He was very calm and then left carrying a black bag in his hand," said the gardener. The forensic expert said bruises around the mouth and upper lip of the victim indicated that she was gagged to keep her from shouting. Meanwhile, Mr. Matthew's lawyer, Ali Al Shamsi, said: "We will need time to analyze the testimonies of witnesses so we can face them with our questions. We may seek the help of forensic experts from outside regarding the autopsy of the deceased." Al Shamsi said he will seek a reduced prison sentence, adding that some members of Mrs. Matthew's family have dropped charges against Mr. Matthew. The next hearing on the case has been set for October 25. GAC/Expat 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