An appeals court has upheld the life sentence of an abusive husband, who attempted to kill his wife in the middle of a residential street in Sitra, despite their son’s pleas to stop the attack.
The High Criminal Court found the 44-year-old Bahraini father guilty of premeditated attempted murder, and ordered the confiscation of the knife used to stab her in the chest.
He was also ordered to pay his Bahraini wife BD5,001 in temporary compensation while she pursues damages against him in civil court. The serial criminal, with charges and convictions related to domestic violence, child abuse and sexual harassment on his record, lodged an appeal against the verdict at the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, but lost.
The court heard that the 43-year-old victim was saved by residents of the Kharijiya neighbourhood, who bravely intervened to halt the assault before taking her into their home and providing first aid.
Just the day before the incident, the appellant had tried to run over his estranged wife with his car.
According to the victim, he repeatedly told her: “I am done – you’ll die and I’ll go to prison.”
The incident took place on December 1, when the woman returned from a girls’ trip and got into her car to drive home. He appeared suddenly, pouring fuel over the vehicle in an attempt to set it on fire.
He smashed the windscreen with a hammer, and the long-suffering wife escaped the car, after which he chased her through the neighbourhood holding a ‘large knife.’
When the woman paused to catch her breath, the man caught up with her and plunged the blade into her chest.
According to court documents, the couple’s 13-year-old son ran out of his father’s car and tried to hold him back, standing between his parents – but this did not stop the attack.
He stabbed his wife in the chest a second time, the blade penetrating between 3cm and 5cm deep, and then stabbed her in the shoulder. Hearing her screams, several nearby residents rushed to the scene.
An 18-year-old university student reportedly grabbed the man’s arm, while a 53-year-old woman saw the victim covered in blood, and moved her away from the assailant, helping her into her home.
The appellant attempted to enter the house where his prey had taken shelter, but residents stopped him.
The victim underwent emergency surgery to save her life, spending 48 hours in the intensive care unit (ICU). She was discharged after 16 days, but required another emergency operation the next week.
The High Criminal Court verdict earlier concluded that the attempted murderer had planned to kill his wife in advance by readying the murder weapon and the petrol, but his efforts were thwarted thanks to strangers who stepped in before it was too late.
Civil litigation continues.
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