A Sri Lankan man was sentenced by a Doha court of first instance to seven years imprisonment for “beating a compatriot to death”. The victim’s family is entitled to get QR200,000 blood money from the accused, the court ruled.

The judges heard that the two men were in love with a housemaid. A scuffle between the two men in front of the woman’s room ended in one man losing his life and the other severely injured. The latter was only brought to court after he recovered.

Additionally, the court sentenced both the man and the woman to three years imprisonment and subsequent deportation for maintaining illicit relations.

Diplomatic sources told Gulf Times that soon after the crime, the 29-year-old maid took shelter in her embassy and the police arrested her in co-ordination with the mission staff. According to legal sources, the incident took place in October, 2008, but the ruling in the case was given more than two years later as the judges preferred to wait for the recovery of the accused.
The woman’s room was adjoining to her sponsor’s house in the Khartiyat area. The body of the victim was recovered three days after the crime from a well in a nearby farm. According to the chargesheet, the accused was in the woman’s room when the victim arrived to give her some money. The woman took the money but stopped him from entering the house, apparently to prevent a clash between the two men, the court heard.

The victim felt something was amiss and entered the room after pushing the woman aside. The man inside suddenly appeared and the victim brandished a knife and stabbed him in the chest. The injured man, however, managed to snatch the knife and stabbed the victim, killing him on the spot.

The defendant’s lawyer argued that his client was acting in self-defence but the court dismissed the claim. The public prosecution charged the suspect with premeditated murder but the court ruled that it was a “beating to death” case. The court underscored a forensic report that said the victim could have been saved “if he was given proper medical treatment.” The case has now moved to the appeals court.

Source: the Gulf Times