DUBAI // A man has been sentenced to life in jail after being found guilty of strangling a prostitute to death with her own scarf, Dubai Criminal Court has ruled.
The Bangladeshi man, 29, met his victim near the port in Jebel Ali on March 1, 2003 and had sex with her in a deserted area. Afterwards an argument broke out between the two over payment.
The murderer wrapped the woman’s scarf around her neck and strangled her. He then dumped the body, took her phone and a few days later he left the country after resigning from work.
The court did not reveal when he was arrested and when he returned to the UAE.
Police were alerted after a body was found several days later.
“We found ID on the body identifying the deceased,” said a policeman. Officers also found the victim’s mobile phone, which the killer had used.
“We arrested him at his accommodation and found a list of calls between him and the deceased on his and her phone. Later he confessed that he had killed her,” the policeman said.
In court, the Bangladeshi denied a charge of premeditated murder and another of theft. “I don’t know anything about this case and when this happened I wasn’t even in the country.”
He was sentenced to life behind bars to be followed by deportation.
salamir@thenational.ae