A worker at a famous fish restaurant, who was found guilty of killing one of his co-workers by bashing his head in with a brick while the victim was praying, has filed an objection to his life sentence in court.
Although judges were set to hear his objection, the 39-year-old Indian man did not appear before the High Criminal Court yesterday; he refused to be brought to court from prison.
Due to the no-show, judges set August 12 as the date a verdict will be issued in the case, even though no defence arguments were heard at all.
He was granted a second chance at trial since he had refused to attend the initial proceedings and was not able to defend himself.
A form titled ‘Inmate’s Refusal of Internal or External Movements’ dated to yesterday was signed by the objector and was attached with the case files.
The murder convict’s state-appointed lawyer was present at the session, and submitted documents to prove that he was authorised to represent him, but did not submit a defence memo.
According to the Public Prosecution, the man previously refused to co-operate with detectives after his arrest, behaving ‘hysterically’ and declining to give his testimony, even going as far as taking off his sandal to throw at the interviewer.
The GDN reported last month that the Indian man was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison, with the court also ordering to deport him after he completed his sentence.
Victim Muhammad Yousaf Muhammad was prostrating in the middle of afternoon prayers when his colleague repeatedly and violently struck his head with a 2.77kg brick, fracturing his skull and facial bones.
As a result of the bloody attack, the 25-year-old Pakistani victim fell into a coma, and was transported from his labour accommodation in A’ali to the BDF Hospital.
When Mr Muhammad was brought to the hospital, he was found completely unresponsive when assessed by neurologists.
Upon being admitted to the emergency department, he was intubated and put on a ventilator. A three-dimensional (3D) scan was taken of his skull, which visually showed extreme fractures.
The battering reportedly pierced the membranes protecting the brain, shattering at least the middle layer of the skull.
He died nine days after he was admitted to hospital.
According to the autopsy, the victim’s status was rated three out of 15 – the lowest possible score – in the Glasgow Coma Scale, which is used to measure the level of a patient’s consciousness after a brain injury.
“There was no surgical intervention that could have improved the patient’s condition or prognosis. He was simply put on life support in the intensive care unit until his heart stopped,” read the autopsy.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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