Dubai court halves sentence of British journalist who killed his wife before work

A British journalist who brutally murdered his wife with a hammer has had his sentence reduced by more than half following an appeal.

Francis Matthew, former editor of Gulf News, will now serve a seven-year sentence for manslaughter rather than the 15 years that were given to him prior to Wednesday’s hearing at 
Dubai’s Court of Appeal.

Prior to this hearing, his legal defence pleaded the court to show him mercy in the name of the country's Year of Tolerance - a campaign by the United Arab Emirates to "emphasise tolerance as a universal concept".

'Provoked'

During questioning, Matthew argued that his wife of 35 years, Jane Matthew, provoked his violence by calling him a "loser".

Jane's brother, Peter Manning, says authorities in the UAE may pin the blame for the killing on his sister, as women in the country are not allowed to insult their husbands.

"It is grotesque to suggest that Jane insulted Francis and this means she somehow brought about her own death," Manning said earlier this week.

"The truth is that in places like UAE women are subservient, need to be obedient and can be beaten," he added.

Matthew killed his wife after they reportedly rowed over their mounting debts, which had reached the region of £200,000 ($240,000).

The former Economist journalist killed with a hammer he had taken from the house's kitchen.

Matthew went to work as normal that day, calling police to the scene only once he had returned home.

He admitted to bludgeoning his wife to death while she lay in bed after having initially claimed that she was attacked by robbers.

Early release?

Following the death of Matthew's father-in-law in March, the convicted killer's chances for early release dramatically improved.

In the UAE, private law claims can only be made by a deceased victim's legal heirs. Jane Matthew had only two legal heirs - her now deceased father and her son. Jane's son, however, had waived his right to pursue legal proceedings.

With all private claims against Matthew dropped, it was already expected that Emirati authorities would impose a shorter sentence.

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