Saudi Prince Convicted of Murdering Servant

A Saudi prince was convicted Tuesday of murdering one of his servants in a frenzied attack in a British hotel.

A jury in London's Old Bailey criminal court found Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud guilty of murdering Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz at the Landmark Hotel in London on Feb. 15.

The 34-year-old prince, whose grandfather is a brother of the current Saudi king, faces a possible life prison term in prison when he is sentenced on Wednesday.

The jury deliberated 95 minutes before returning its verdict.

Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw said the prince had abused his aide in the past, showing jurors video shot in the Landmark's elevator which appears to show the shaven-headed prince, dressed in white, throwing his 32-year-old servant around and battering him. Photographs of Abdulaziz stored on a mobile phone "plainly proved" that there was a "sexual element" to the abuse, Laidlaw said.

"The prince was fuelled by champagne and 'sex on the beach' cocktails when he bit the 32-year-old hard on both cheeks during the attack in February," the U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper reported.

Al Saud believed he would be protected from prosecution in the U.K. because of diplomatic immunity, the Telegraph reported.

He faces a likely death sentence if he returns to Saudi Arabia, not because of the murder but because he is gay and homosexuality is a capital crime there.

"The murder of Mr Abdulaziz was the final act in a 'deeply abusive' master-servant relationship in which the prince carried out frequent attacks on his aide 'for his own personal gratification,'" the Telegraph said.

Al Saud originally told police that he and Abdulaziz had been drinking into the early hours of the morning, and that when he awoke at 3 p.m. he could not rouse Abdulaziz.

Jurors rejected a claim by his defense lawyer John Kelsey-Fry that the prince was guilty only of manslaughter.

The prince was convicted of both murder and a second count of grievous bodily harm with intent relating to the attack in the elevator.

"Beneath the surface this was a deeply abusive relationship which the defendant exploited, as the assaults in the lift so graphically demonstrate, for sadistic reasons, for his own personal gratification," Laidlaw told the jury.

"The abuse extended beyond physical abuse. There was plainly an emotional element and psychological element to it."

The prosecutor said Abdulaziz surrendered meekly to the fatal assault.

"He was killed without apparently ever having fought back because the defendant was completely unharmed, without any mark at all, when he was examined at the police station. Bandar appears to have let the defendant kill him," Laidlaw said.

[Scimajor]

The sad thing is that if he were to go home he'd be sentence to death for being gay but they'd probably be just fine with the murder of a mere servant.

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
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The prince was convicted of both murder and a second count of grievous bodily harm with intent relating to the attack in the elevator.
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c'est un malade, c'est de la barbarie ce qu'il a fait, il m?rite un chatiment exemplaire, au revoir

[thesevenveils]

What astonishes me is the Saudis take their Shari law of no drinking very seriously at home, it is an important part of their religon, so they profess. But yet the rich and powerful Saudis have built a bridge to a neighboring island country where they consume massive amounts of alcohol and pay thousands for prostitutes, and then go back home as if nothing happened. And of course when they travel the world they do so in grand style drinking nothing but the finest wines and liquor.

It is this hypocritical account of what is witnessed in this trial and all around the world is typical of Saudis. So how can their word have any value when they don't valued their own beloved religion as they've deemed by their government and cultural values?

[ici2i]

Great questions! So are we seeing the exceptions or this is this the rule of all Arabs? If more had the means, more would cross the line. Might explain why they have such harsh treatment for those who wander from strict Islamic law. The hard liners know they can't let their followers smell or taste the life of freedom or their whole backwards culture will come tumbling down. We had a bunch of Muslim exchange students living in our town back in the 80's. They were the most arrogant, drunk, abnoxious pigs ever to walk our streets. They just can't handle their liquor is all.

[tamiyaguy007]

How come MR Anderson Cooper of I protest the use of the word "GAY" when refering to a car in a movie trailer has never protested the fact that it is a crime punishable by death to be gay in Saudi Arabia hmmm? Why are you so offended by a movie trailer yet not about Islamic law. Gays sure week lame targets it seems.

[ici2i]

Speak English much? You make no sense. "Of I protest", "movie trailer" What the heck is that? "week lame target"...do you mean day of the WEEK or not strong like WEAK?

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Get an education dude!

[4merGOPr]

We not only have to worry about terrorist outside of this country trying to destroy our democracy, we have traitors like michaelm07 doing it from inside. Sickening. They should be stripped of their citizenship and deported.

[Cyber998]

Indeed, couldn't help thinking from his posts below what a loser he sounds like. But no doubt all the problems in his life are someone else's fault, I'm betting he blames Obama.

[4merGOPr]

michaelm07, vote as you wish, this country is being destroyed by people like you. I don't hate you, I pity you. I use the word "traitor" for those spoiled little people, who try to destory our country when they don't get their way.

[4merGOPr]

michaelm07, you are an idiot. You lump everyone together in one basket. You're no different the the terrorists. Why don't you move to Saudi Arabi so you can be with people like yourself. This country is tearing itself apart because of people like you....what do we call those people...thats right TRAITORS.

[amadeo123]

so now probably all the repukebicans will come and defend the saudi prince like they did in 9-11 and find a way to put him on a plane so he can escape to safety, the same way conservatives helped the Bin Laden family escape from interrogation.