The seaside town of Ismailia’s Criminal Court on Wednesday handed down a sentence of capital punishment to a man in his late twenties for the brutal murder in broad daylight of a local resident on a main road.
In his attempt to escape the scene of the crime the accused also attempted to harm two others in the middle of the busy intersection.
The unfolding events were witnessed by shocked onlookers who gave their statements to the police and journalists.
The court read out its verdict on Wednesday in front of media reporters in an open courtroom.
The court referred its decision of capital punishment to the Grand Mufti (religious leader) Shawky Allam, for approval during the final hearing on December 9.
A referral to the Mufti (religious leader) is required in the Egyptian court system ahead of death sentences, even though the mufti’s opinion is only advisory, not binding.
On November 4, at a press conference, Public Prosecutor Hamada al-Sawy announced that the then suspect, Abdel Rahman Nazmy be referred to a speedy trial over the premeditated murder of a victim who was pronounced dead at the scene and the attempted murder of two others.
“During the assault on the victim and before the actual murder, the suspect was heard yelling out to passers-by that noone should get involved and that this was a personal dispute”.
It was discovered later on after interviewing witnesses and from statements from the prosecution office, that the accused knew one of the two passers-by, which he attacked.
The injured man who is in his late thirties and who refuses to be identified in public has become a key witness in this trial ever since the murder took place.
The suspect tried to escape the scene but was chased down by an angry mob who handed him over to the authorities.
After his arrest the accused was found to also be in possession of illegal substances and a sharp bladed weapon.
During his questioning he openly admitted that he had committed the crime and showed no signs of remorse.
A representative for the Public Prosecution demanded to impose the maximum penalty for the suspect after questioning was complete. (The maximum penalty being death by hanging).
At a further press conference the representative also gave a detailed explanation of the crime scene.
He stressed about the severity of the crime and sent a message to the shocked small sea side community. He advised community members to seek psychological trauma support through a local hotline.
“This was a blatant premeditated crime with intent to commit murder with no remorse evident”.
Video footage of the gruesome incident went viral on social media, showing the accused stabbing the victim repeatedly in front of a stunned large crowd.
The Public Prosecution established its evidence against the suspect from the testimonies of the two injured victims and 10 other witnesses and the leaked video.
The video clips of the murder and the suspect’s detailed admission of the the crime during investigations have made this an open and shut case.
