ABU DHABI // A husband and wife murdered his second wife because their house was messy, and tortured her children, a court has been told.
The Emirati couple were arrested after his second wife, a Yemeni, was found dead at their Baniyas home. Neighbours had reported a woman and children being beaten and starved there.
The Criminal Court also heard that the first wife, N S, confessed to beating to the point of permanent deformity the two children that he had with his second wife.
N S was not taken to court from prison for Tuesday’s hearing because she said that she was tired.
The court heard that there was no forensic evidence linking the husband, A A, to the body.
During interrogation the man said he had been married to the victim for six years, during which he regularly beat her with a cane and his hands, and kicked her for not obeying his orders, the court heard.
Prosecutors said that he told them he kept her locked in the house because she had a psychological illness.
On the day of the murder, he said he arrived home to find his house was extremely messy, with the belongings in his bedroom scattered around.
He was so outraged him he attacked the woman and beat her with his fists and wooden objects until she was dead.
N S also confessed to attacking the second wife’s son and daughter, prosecutors said.
Both defendants denied the charges when the case began at the Criminal Court.
In an earlier hearing, A A said he had eight children in total. He said that on the day of the incident he received a phone call to tell him there was an ambulance in front of his house and he rushed home to find his Yemeni wife dead.
The case was adjourned until September 14 to summon the doctor who conducted the forensic tests.
The defence lawyer also requested that the witnesses in the case attend because he had questions for them.
The victim’s heirs were also summoned to say if they wanted a death sentence, a blood money settlement or to pardon the defendants.
hdajani@thenational.ae