Pinoy to stand trial over girlfriend’s killing in UAE

A Filipino driver in the United Arab Emirates faces possible death sentence as he stands trial before the Court of First Instance there for allegedly killing his girlfriend. The Filipino, who was not named, allegedly used a belt in his car to commit the crime, according to a report on UAE news site Khaleej Times. Youssef Foulaz, Chief Prosecutor of Deira, has requested the court to impose capital punishment on the Filipino as he is accused of premeditated murder. According to the arraignment sheet, the defendant was with the victim, a Filipina, on March 31. Investigation showed the couple, both 40 years old, had a fight over money and she threw sand in his face so he stepped off and sat in the back seat. He then pulled the waist belt she was wearing and then strangled her to death with it. After making sure that she was dead, the defendant drove toward Al Tawar, where he dumped the body outside a villa. He stripped the clothes off the body and took the victim’s belongings so it would be hard to identify her, then fled. But authorities found out that the defendant and the victim had violated the residency law. It was difficult for the police to track the suspect down. Dubai Police gathered 421 people of different nationalities, who had violated residency laws, to whom they showed the victim’s picture. One of them, a woman, recognized the victim and told the police about her acquaintance and friends, the defendant being one of them. During investigation, the Filipino admitted to having killed the woman. The forensic report showed the victim had been strangled from behind. Marks on the victim's neck indicated that she had been attacked from behind. Accordingly, the Public Prosecution framed the charge as premeditated murder. — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV