EDITOR PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO MURDER

▶ Death penalty to be sought if Gulf News executive is convicted as charged

Francis Matthew, the editor-at-large of Gulf News, has pleaded not guilty to the premeditated murder of his wife of more than 30 years.

“I’m not guilty,” Mr Matthew told presiding judge Erfan Omar Atteyah at Dubai Criminal Court.

The Briton, 60, is accused of killing his wife Jane, 62, by hitting her twice on the head with a hammer at their villa in Jumeirah on July 3.

Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty if the defendant is convicted of murder.

Police were called to the couple’s home in Umm Suqeim 1 by Mr Matthew at 5.45pm on July 4, when he reported that his wife had been assaulted by thieves.

A police team, paramedics and forensic experts were sent to the villa.

“When we arrived, the defendant told us that he left home about 8am and returned from work about 5pm to find his wife murdered in her bed,” a lieutenant colonel of police said.

He said there were drops of blood in the corridors leading to the bedroom where they found the victim’s body.

“We walked into the bedroom to find the victim in a pool of blood and with a severe head wound,” the officer said.

“She was undressed and her belongings were scattered across the room. A safe was on the floor, which the defendant said was knocked over by thieves.”

He said they suspected Mr Matthew was involved, and CID detectives called him in for questioning.

Police said he denied having anything to do with the death, but later admitted hitting his wife twice with a hammer.

They said Mr Matthew told them he had informed his wife that he had financial difficulties and that they would need to move to a smaller apartment.

“He told us that on the day of the death, they had dinner then watched TV until 11pm,” the officer said. “Then they started arguing about his financial problems and about the victim’s refusal to move out of the house, during which he said she called him a loser.”

Police said Mr Matthew told them he did not want to argue and went to bed, but at 2.30am his wife woke him for another argument. He said he left her in the bedroom and went to sleep in the living room.

According to the policeman’s testimony, Mr Matthew was woken by his wife at 7am and she followed him into the kitchen, where she again provoked him.

“He told us that he got really angry and picked up a hammer from a shelf then followed her to the bedroom and hit her twice on her forehead while she was lying in her bed. Then he decided to fake a robbery scene.”

It is claimed that Mr Matthew then took a shower, threw the hammer in a bin far from his villa, went to work and called police when he arrived home.

Three other officers gave similar testimony.

The forensic expert said bruising around the mouth and lip of the victim indicated that she was silenced forcefully.

Mr Matthew’s lawyer, Ali Al Shamsi, said he would submit his requests to court at the next hearing on October 25. “We will need time to analyse the testimonies of witnesses,” he said.

Mr Matthew was editor of Gulf News from 1995 to 2005.

CID detectives called him in for questioning, and he later admitted hitting his wife with a hammer