ABU DHABI // A man who ran over a 12-year-old boy he blamed for throwing rubbish into his car should be charged with manslaughter, not premeditated murder, his lawyer said today.
S?H?B, from Pakistan, drove after the Sudanese boy, H?K, in the mistaken belief he was among a group of 15-year-olds who had thrown waste paper through his window, the court heard.
He claims the boy ran out in front of his vehicle, and he fled the scene because he was scared of what would happen to him.
His defence lawyer, Khalfan Al Kaabi, said there was no evidence that his client had intended to kill the boy.
“There is no link between the actions and the death to show that the man intended to end the life of the victim,” Mr Al Kaabi said.
The chain of events lasted only a few minutes, not long enough to show “the premeditated factor”, he added.
Mr Al Kaabi said the testimonies of the other boys had been contradictory and “they are all 15-year-olds who have wild imaginations _ and prosecutors played along with them”.
“We don’t know how prosecutors came up with the murder charge,” he added.
The boy's father has requested the death penalty, which can only be given if the charge is premeditated murder. A verdict is expected on February 10.
hdajani@thenational.ae
