‘Journalist in wife killing case suffered temporary insanity’

VICTIM WAS ONLY HIT ONCE ON THE HEAD, FORENSIC EXPERT SAYS

Adefence witness told a panel of judges yesterday that a British editor in Dubai, serving a 10-year prison term for killing his wife, wasn’t aware of his actions at the time of the murder as he was suffering from “temporary insanity”.

In March, the Dubai Court of First Instance jailed 62-yearold journalist Francis Matthew for 10 years, after modifying the premeditated killing charge to beating that led to death.

Matthew, a former Gulf News staffer, was found guilty of hitting his 63-year-old wife with a hammer twice on the forehead, after an argument over financial issues at the couple’s villa in Umm Suqeim in July 2017.

Yesterday, Matthew’s lawyer Ali Abdullah Al Shamsi presented Egyptian forensic consultant Dr Muna Al Juhary in the Dubai Court of Appeals, as she had studied forensic reports of the case. “He was suffering severe pressure and emotional stress, and had temporary insanity which means he lost all ability to distinguish right from wrong,” argued Dr Al Juhary.

Dr Al Juhary said the victim wasn’t hit twice on her head, but only once. “He hit her with the side of the hammer, which is why she sustained one severe injury and a moderate one; the severe one was caused by the side of the hammer which is heavy and the other one by the claw,” she told judges.

The prosecution had charged the defendant of murdering his wife with premeditation.

Matthew pleaded not guilty and appealed his 10-year prison sentence, seeking to have his punishment reduced. Prosecutors also went in appeal seeking a stiffer sentence.

The Court of First Instance’s bench of judges altered the premeditated murder charge to beating that caused death.

Matthew’s lawyer argued before the primary court that the accused was gripped by a sudden fit of “intense outrage” that was triggered by the victim’s relentless provocation, which resulted in his violent act.

At the next hearing on September 23, the court will listen to testimonies of more defence witnesses.