Emirati jailed for Fujairah wedding shootings
A wedding guest who accidentally shot dead two brothers during the celebrations has been locked up for four months.
The 30-year-old Emirati has also been fined Dhs6,000 and ordered to pay blood money to the victims’ families.
The judge issued the sentence after the families of the dead men waived their rights and forgave the defendant.
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Families of dead men waive rights and the defendant was jailed for four months
Prosecutors charged him with accidentally shooting three people, killing two of them, and possessing a weapon without a licence. He admitted the charges.
The defendant was a relative of a member of the wedding party and had fired several rounds into the air as a mark of celebration.
A witness said: “It was about 10pm. He fired bullets in the air but accidentally shot three people.”
The eldest of the brothers, a 36-year-old Emirati, died at the scene while his 18-year-old sibling later died in hospital. The third man suffered only minor injuries from the bullets.
The defendant was performing the traditional Yola dance with other guests, including the victims, at wedding in the Wum area of Dibba, Fujairah, in March.
Rashid Saeed, who was among the guests, said yesterday: “I believe it has been a fair judgment because it was an accident. The man didn’t mean to hurt or kill the
victims. Besides, they were his friends.”
Under UAE law, the defendant must pay Dhs200,000 in blood money for each victim.
ismail@7days.ae
Comments
by Mais Al-Baali
Wednesday, May 23 2012, 8:27PM
“It's really sad to see people die because of such celebrations. I have read that during celebrations in Mexico the same would be done and there are fatalities because of it. My heart goes out to the grieving family. It must be hard for them to have lost 2 of their sons, and during a wedding celebration nonetheless.”
by Mc Avellanosa
Wednesday, May 23 2012, 9:53AM
“I've read this news when this first came out last March and I was so saddened to hear that on a festivity like a wedding, something terribly wrong happened. I guess we can call it an accident since the accused didn't mean to hurt anyone but the fact that the person was carrying a firearm without a license and shot aimlessly in the air is something serious. And killing 2 people is way out of the line.”
by Ranya Jawed
Wednesday, May 23 2012, 1:31AM
“This is really a unwanted way of celebration. I don't understand what sort of excitement or happiness people gain by firing a shot in air. Such similar incidents have been reported in India as well where gun shots are fired in air as part of wedding celebrations. They don't understand that such act can result in a nightmare than a celebration. I cant understand how its an accident, when any sane person can tell how hazardous a gun shot can be!”
by Mc Avellanosa
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 8:30PM
“I've read this news last March and I was very shocked to hear that on a festivity like a wedding something horrible like this could happen. It was suppose to be a celebration full of happy moments and I know how terrible the family of the victims felt. I know it was an accident but something like that shouldn't happen in the first place. And if the family of the victims forgave him already, then it's right for him to at least pay for the charges since no one could bring back the lives of the victims.”
by Randall Mohammed
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 5:41PM
“I thought guns were illegal but it appears that you could get a license to carry a fire arm. But some police officers don't carry weapons. The system seems flawed only 4 months jail time for what appears to be man slaughter.”
by alexandra
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 5:09PM
“ACCIDENTALLY?!?! How can he accidentally shoot 3 people?! thats really strange.”
by dxbgal
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 3:27AM
“He only gets four months???? He shot 3 people and killed two! Can they not put a ban on guns how was it possible that he was able to obtain one???”