Two brothers murdered their nephew because he was having an affair with one of their wives, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Sunday.
Prosecutors said the two Pakistani accused, aged 42 and 49, planned the murder after finding out the victim, in his 30s, had been having sex with the eldest brother’s wife in their home country — where the nephew and wife lived.
The men allegedly helped find the nephew a job in the UAE to lure him to the country and kill him.
On February 3 last year, a few months after the nephew moved to the UAE, the duo invited him out to dinner.
After their meal, they drove him to a remote area and killed him using a hammer, rope, plastic bag and shovel they had packed in the boot of the younger uncle's car.
The pair then buried his body and returned home.
The nephew’s employer filed a missing person’s report to police after he failed to show up for work.
The victim’s body was found on June 21 this year — but court records did not say by whom.
Forensic testing revealed the victim had been murdered and died from internal bleeding caused by several head fractures, indicating he had been beaten with a hammer.
Police investigations connected the younger uncle to the murder.
The uncle was arrested the same day the body was found and, during questioning, admitted to his part in the murder of his nephew. He told police, however, that he only restrained the victim while the other accused - who is still at large — killed him.
"He [the younger accused] told us that, after dinner, the two of them suggested to drive the victim home but instead took him to a remote desert area in Jebel Ali," said the police lieutenant.
"They stepped out of the car then he restrained the victim while the other accused asked the victim if he had sex with his wife."
"When the victim admitted to the affair, his eldest uncle hit him in the head with a hammer twice then wrapped a rope around his neck and strangled him," the policeman said.
They put the victim's body in a plastic bag and buried him.
The accused did not attend court on Sunday morning to hear his charges. A policeman told judges the man refused to attend the hearing.
The court was adjourned until December 11.
