Bahrain hit and run driver to learn fate on March 25

Manama : A 31-year-old Saudi convicted of running over a man at the Exhibition Road in an inebriated condition will learn the fate of his appeal on March 25.

The defendant was earlier handed down 15 years in prison. He, however, was spared a lengthier jail term as his charge was revised by the High Criminal Court from intentional murder to accidental killing.

DT News reported in March last year that police had launched an extensive manhunt for a Gulf national after a 44-year-old man was found dead in the car parking lot of a hotel located at the Exhibition Road. 

The incident occurred on March 6 last year, but the defendant had escaped to Saudi. He had abandoned his car, and hired a taxi to avoid being captured, court files suggested.  

Later, after knowing that the victim had died, he surrendered to the Bahrain police. He said that he was under the influence of alcohol when the incident occurred. He claimed that he had pressed the fuel pedal by mistake. The man also denied any links with the victim.

“I was in the car in an inebriated state. Then I slammed my foot on the gas pedal. Suddenly, some people came and told me that I had run over a man. So I immediately abandoned the car,” he said.

However, witnesses told prosecutors that the man had intentionally raced his car against the victim as well as three other men, who were with the victim at the time of the incident.

The accident allegedly occurred following a quarrel between the defendant and the four other men after they had lunch together in the same restaurant, according to the witnesses’ statements. 

The defendant was ordered to be deported after he completes his jail term.