The Daily Star, March 20, 2013
LONDON: A
Saudi prince jailed for life in Britain for murdering his servant has been
flown home to serve the rest of his sentence, the British government said
Wednesday.
Prince Saud
bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir, a grandson of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, was jailed
in 2010 for killing Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz in a London hotel after
subjecting him to a "sadistic" campaign of violence and sexual abuse.
But
Britain's Ministry of Justice confirmed that the 36-year-old royal flew back to
Saudi Arabia on Monday after he was granted a transfer to a prison in his
homeland.
Details of
the transfer were announced last month.
"We
have a prison transfer arrangement with Saudi Arabia which allows nationals of
either country to serve their prison sentence in their home state," a
ministry spokeswoman said.
"Prince
Saud has now returned to Saudi Arabia to serve the rest of his sentence. He was
transferred in the same way that all prisoners are returned home and is the
first prisoner to transfer under this arrangement."
Saud's
trial at England's Old Bailey central criminal court in London heard that he
had ordered gay escorts and had frequently looked at websites for gay massage
parlours and escort agencies.
The prince
denied being gay and his lawyers argued that he could face the death penalty in
Saudi Arabia over the allegations of homosexuality.
The jury
heard that the prince beat and strangled Abdulaziz to death on February 15,
2010, fuelled by champagne and cocktails, after the pair returned from a
Valentine's Day night out.
A
post-mortem found that Abdulaziz had suffered heavy blows to the head, injuries
to the brain and ears, and severe neck injuries consistent with strangulation
by hand.
Prosecutors
said bite marks on his cheeks showed a clear "sexual element" to the
killing.
 |
| Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud (L) is seen with his servant Bandar Abdulaziz in an elevator in London's Landmark hotel on January 22, 2010, in closed circuit television footage which was shown during a murder trial in London on October 5, 2010. (Credit: REUTERS/Metropolitan Police/handout) |
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