The British editor-at-large of an English language newspaper in Dubai has pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder of his wife, according to local media.
Francis Matthew, who is editor-at-large at Gulf News, appeared in Dubai Criminal Court on Wednesday morning, accused of killing his 62-year-old wife with a hammer at their villa in Jumeirah in July.
Dubai Media Office said on Twitter at the time that Dubai police were called to Matthew’s home on July 3, where they found his wife dead.
The media office said police reported that Matthew initially claimed his wife had been assaulted by thieves, but later confessed to killing her during an argument.
Matthew and his wife Jane were well-known and respected members of the British expat community in Dubai and had lived in the country for around two decades.
Matthew was editor of the paper from 1995-2005.
His lawyer Ali Al Shamsi was quoted as telling local media the next court hearing will be on October 25. He reportedly said: “We will need time to analyse the testimonies of witnesses so we can face them with our questions, we may seek the help of forensic experts from outside regarding the autopsy of the deceased.”
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