The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced the Uber driver charged with trying to kidnap Habiba al-Shamaa to 15 years in prison, fined him LE 50,000 and canceled his driving license, in the first hearing session of the case on Monday.
The Public Prosecution charged Mahmoud Hashim, 34, of attempting to kidnap Shamaa, 24, by force, against her will.
During Monday’s session, the defendant’s defense lawyer requested the trial be adjourned to allow him time to study the case, and that a session be set to discuss the only prosecution witness in the case.
The representative of the Public Prosecution said that the defendant terrified the victim enough to throw herself out of the car, leading to her death.
Shamaa passed away on March 14 after falling into a coma that lasted for 21 days, which resulted from her jumping out of an Uber car when the driver had attempted to kidnap her.
The suspect earlier in March admitted that the victim was riding his car at the time of the incident, and as soon as he closed the car’s windows and sprayed an aromatic substance inside it, she jumped out of the car while he was driving at a speed of 100 km/hour and that he fled to avoid suspicion.
He also admitted that he consumes cannabis, as he took a dose of it before the incident and another after it occurred
