Murder: appeal to be heard on June 30

He murdered a 21-year-old Saudi by stabbing him twice on his chest

Manama

A person convicted of murdering a 21-year-old-Saudi will hear his appeal ruling on June 30. The 46-year-old accused, was sent to prison for life for stabbing his victim during a bloody argument last year.

He pleaded not guilty earlier at the High Criminal Court, though he had admitted the responsibility for the victim's death during questioning before the Public Prosecution.

He, however, pointed out before the court he killed the victim as a means of self-protection, explaining that the knife used in the crime belonged to the deceased. "He attacked me with the knife, but I managed to grab it and stab him with it," the accused told the judges earlier. 

 However, eyewitnesses earlier said both of them exchanged punches, following which, the accused drew out a knife and stabbed the victim twice, killing him on the spot.

The alleged killer earlier claimed in his statement that he was homeless and the victim urinated on his wardrobe, located in an alleyway where he had lived for 15 years.

In the closing arguments the defence lawyer stated his client had a legitimate reason to defend himself. But judges at the High Criminal Court dismissed this argument, pointing out that the accused only wanted to end the fight by murdering his victim.

"And this was confirmed by the witness testimonies that revealed the accused had initially hit his victim on his head with a plank before stabbing the victim with a knife that fall out of his pocket," a court verdict read.

 A medical examiner's report stated the fatal wound penetrated 11cm into the left side of the victims chest, while the second stab wound was on the right side of his chest. Prosecutors earlier said two knives were recovered from the sea near the crime scene and tests would be conducted to determine if one of them was the murder weapon.

 It's worth to note the victim was convicted last year for pretending to be a Kuwaiti working in the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Information.