Killers' death sentences quashed

Family of dead man provide court with a waiver, sparing the men's lives.

DUBAI // Two men who stabbed a drunken compatriot to death in a bid to steal his money have had their death sentence commuted.

AA, 37, and HM, 27, faced the firing squad after being found guilty at Dubai Criminal Court in February last year of premeditatedly murdering MM and burning his body.

However, the appeal court on Thursday revoked the death sentence after being provided with a waiver from the man's family. The court ruled the pair should instead serve 15 years in jail.

AA and HM, both from India, stabbed MM to death in October 2009 after inviting him to drink alcohol with them.

Prosecutors said they had planned to take MM's money after hearing him brag about a large sum of cash.

The pair waited until MM had passed out through alcohol consumption before stabbing him to death.

They then placed his body in his car, drove it to Sharjah and set fire to the vehicle.

They were, however, unable to find the money MM had boasted about and ended up with only a mobile phone and Dh500.