British newspaper editor given 10 years in Dubai jail for wife's murder
The family of a murdered British woman has criticised the sentence handed down to her husband, who on Sunday was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing her in a 2017 hammer attack.
“Justice has not yet been done,” said the family of 62-year-old Jane Matthew in a statement after Francis Matthew was found guilty of murdering her.
Mrs Matthew was bludgeoned to death in the couple’s home in Dubai’s upscale Jumeirah neighbourhood on July 4 last year.
Matthew, a former newspaper editor, was employed by the English-language Gulf News when he murdered his wife.
He initially attempted to cover up his actions, leaving her body in their home overnight and going to work the next morning. Matthew wrapped the hammer in a plastic bag and threw it away during his commute.
Upon returning home that evening he raised the alarm, telling police Mrs Matthew had been killed in a home invasion. However, Matthew changed his story when questioned by police, saying that he and his wife had fought over money.
He said she was angry because they were in debt and needed to move.
Matthew said his temper rose when she called him a “loser” and told him he “should provide financially”.
According to a police report, Mrs Matthew shoved him and he then left the room to get a hammer, which he took into the bedroom and used it to bludgeon her twice in the head, killing her.
Police officers called as witnesses during the trial described Matthew’s strange demeanour when they responded to his call for help the day after the murder.
“He was very calm, and showed no signs of shock at all,” said one of the officers who attended the call-out.
Neither Mr Matthew nor his lawyer were present in the Dubai Court of First Instance for the verdict.
Mrs Matthew’s family was present at court Sunday and afterwards released a statement saying they were “saddened” by the sentence, noting that Matthew may not serve his full sentence.
Matthew had faced the possibility of the death penalty, which in the United Arab Emirates is typically carried out by firing squad.
Mrs Matthew’s family argued that the crime demonstrated planning and intent, and warranted a more significant penalty.
"We believe the facts clearly demonstrate that this crime was a deliberate act. In the defendant's own version of events, he collected the murder weapon, a hammer, in the kitchen and carried it down two corridors of the house to the bedroom,” the family’s statement read.
"There was time for him to consider his actions – instead he delivered two hammer blows to the front of Jane's head.”
The family also argued with Matthew’s version of the couple’s row, saying that Mrs Matthew had known for some time that the couple had to move as their villa was scheduled for demolition.
Matthew is set to be deported after serving his sentence in the UAE. His lawyer said he would appeal the sentence.
