Desert death sentence upheld

The death sentence has been upheld against the killer of a teacher from West Malling.

Lauren Patterson’s remains were found in a Doha desert pit in 2013. A knife was found still lodged in her ribcage.

The 24-year-old, whose family home is in Leybourne Chase, had been teaching at a primary school in the Qatari capital when she disappeared on a night out.

On Sunday a judge ruled that the original sentence handed to murderer Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah al-Jabr should be enforced.

The judgement brings an end to four years of fighting for Lauren’s mother, Alison Patterson, whose campaign for justice was supported by nearly £50,000 in public donations.

Al-Jabr was sentenced to death in March 2015, but in February 2016 the country’s court of appeal ordered a re-trial.

A second man, Mohamed Abdallah Hassan Abdul Aziz, was convicted of helping to hide Miss Patterson’s body and interfering with evidence.

He’s already been released from prison.

Following the result, Mrs Patterson told the KM: “I am feeling very emotional but relieved that the trial is now over.”

Mrs Patterson thanked all those who had supported her and requested the family’s privacy be respected.

The decision will now go to the court of cassation within the next 60 days, for right of appeal.