Doha
The Court of Appeals will deliver its judgement on March 23 in the case where two Qatari men have been convicted of the murder of British school teacher Lauren Patterson.
According to a report in local Arabic daily Arrayah the hearing on Monday, February 22 was attended by lawyers of both sides, the convicts and members of the victim's family.
During the session, the defence lawyer demanded to change the accusation to assault that resulted in death instead of intentional killing. The lawyer stated that the accused person was in a legal state of self defence and that the victim was suffering from a severe nervous disorder which can be proved through her phone messages.
The lawyer for the victim's family claimed compensation of QR 20mn to be paid to the mother of the victim for psychological and moral damages which the mother suffered as a result of loss of daughter who was killed and her body burnt.
The 24-year-old Patterson was reported missing in October 2013 after leaving a nightclub with the two men, who would later be convicted in her death.
The defence lawyer for the two men reiterated the argument that al-Jabar killed Patterson in self-defence and attacked Patterson’s moral character, claiming her to be “promiscuous,” and an “excessive drinker”.
The court said that the Qatari values ensured justice to any person living in the State.
A lower court had earlier sentenced Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah al-Jabar to death and Mohamed Abdallah Hassan Abdul Aziz to spend three years in prison for helping al-Jabar burn Patterson’s body.
