DUBAI// The British businessman Mark Arnold has pleaded not guilty to the premeditated murder of his South African former girlfriend, Kerry Winter. Arnold appeared before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance for a brief hearing this morning dressed in white prison uniform. He is accused of killing Ms Winter with a baseball bat on the night of Aug 20 last year and dumping her body at sea. If convicted he could face the death penalty.
Arnold's lawyer, Youssef Hammad, asked the court for an adjournment to obtain a copy of the case file, study the case and prepare his defence. Hussein al Jazeiri, a lawyer representing Ms Winter's brother, Kurt Winter, also filed a civil compensation claim with the court. Judge Hamad Abdullatif adjourned the case until April 23. hbathish@thenational.ae
