A former newspaper editor who killed his wife in the heat of an argument appeared in court on Sunday to appeal against his 10-year sentence.
Francis Matthew, 61, a former editor of Gulf News, was convicted of physical assault leading to death and sentenced to jail after previously facing the death penalty for a murder charge.
On Sunday, Matthew's son — who previously gave a good character testimony to the court — cried upon seeing his father walk into Dubai Criminal Court.
The Briton's lawyer, Ali Al Shamsi, asked for the hearing to be rescheduled so the court could hear the testimony of a forensic expert who could not attend the hearing due to a death in the family.
The hearing was postponed to September 9.
On Saturday, the family of Matthew's wife, Jane, said she had repeatedly urged him to leave Dubai after he amassed debts of nearly a million dirhams.
Peter Manning, Jane's brother, is calling for Matthew to serve his full term, saying tensions between the couple had been mounting for at least a year over their “frightening” finances.
In an interview with The National, Mr Manning said: "The argument was not 'out of the blue' as the defence claim. It puts that night in a very different light. It was not her 'provocation' that caused him to batter her. It was the situation he had got them into. This is a critical issue that must be examined by court.
“They had debts of more than £200,000 in the form of six credit cards and two loans. These were building up interest. It must have been frightening.”
In March, after Matthew received his verdict, Jane's family issued a statement expressing their disappointment and hope that the sentence would be changed on appeal. The statement said that "justice has not yet been done".
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
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Company%20profile
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
More coverage from the Future Forum
Company%C2%A0profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
