Dubai court told drug addict mother killed baby moments after birth

Flatmate says he saw woman carrying refuse bag with suitcase inside days later

Dubai Criminal Court heard the infant was born with amphetamine and methamphetamine in her system.

A woman has been charged with premeditated murder after giving birth alone and suffocating the baby with a pillow.

Dubai Criminal Court heard that the accused used drugs throughout her pregnancy.

An postmortem examination showed that the infant was born with amphetamine and methamphetamine in her system and subsequently suffered fractures of the head and chest.

The accused, 28, from Kyrgyzstan, was arrested in June last year after trying to dispose of the body.

Police learnt that the single woman had given birth on May 27, 2020 in shared accommodation in the Muraqqabat area of Al Rigga Road.

Her flatmate, from Algeria, told police he suspected the accused was pregnant and that he heard her in pain one afternoon. According to his testimony, the noise was soon replaced by a child's cries.

“Around 15 minutes later, I heard the baby crying again but then the crying stopped and I didn’t hear it after that at all," he said.

The flatmate told the court he waited for the woman to leave the apartment. He then entered her room and found a bloodstained blanket hidden behind a wardrobe.

He said that, three days later, he saw her leaving the building carrying a large refuse bag with a suitcase inside.

“She said it belonged to her friend and she didn’t know what was inside of it, and that she wanted to throw it away,” he said.

The man offered to help her by taking the bag. However, the woman refused and the bag became ripped.

“A very foul smell came out of it, so when she stopped a taxi I rode with her before I convinced her I will get rid of the bag and asked her to go home,” the flatmate said.

The man said that flies emerged from the bag and when he saw the body inside he contacted the police.

During questioning, the accused said that she pressed a pillow against the baby’s head and chest to end her life.

She also faces charges of drug use.