Emotional scene during murder trial

JUDGE ALLOWS SUSPECT IN WIFE’S DEATH TO HUG SON, BROTHER AND SISTER

The family of a British journalist, who is accused of premeditatedly killing his wife in July, testified in court that the couple had prearranged plans for family commitments in London last summer.

The 61-year-old British journalist and his 63-yearold wife had paid for flight bookings and prearranged for family commitments for July 2017 (month when the wife was murdered) and were scheduled to attend their only son’s college graduation and the father-in-law’s 90th birthday, testified the suspect’s son, brother and sister before the Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday.

In dramatic, emotional and unprecedented scenes witnessed inside a courtroom, presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi allowed the suspect, Francis Matthew, to come out of the dock for a few minutes and allowed him to hug and kiss his son, brother and sister.

It was such a touching scene that several people were seen crying when the suspect hugged and kissed his only 22-year-old son. Matthew, a former Gulf

News staff member, pleaded not guilty to the charges of intentionally killing his wife by hitting her twice on the forehead with a hammer.

Having flown in from London to testify in court, the 22-year-old told presiding judge Al Shamsi that he had never seen his parents fighting. The son also testified that he was just about to graduate [a few days after the murder date] and his parents were scheduled to attend his graduation ceremony in July 2017 and other family plans.

“He had paid for the tickets and they were prepared to fly,” the son said.

In response to the presiding judge’s question on whether the suspect had purchased the tickets, Matthew’s 55-year-old brother said: “Yes he had bought the tickets. When I heard what had happened, it was unlike my brother and not his character.”

The witnesses further testified that the couple had lived for more than 33 years together in what they described in a marriage life based on love and respect.