A lower criminal court in Qatar has sentenced two expats to life in prison and a third defendant to 22 years for attempted murder, burglary and breaking and entering of a home last Ramadan.

According to a report this week in Al Raya, the convicts were also ordered to pay back some QR29,684 ($8,151) in stolen money, and a fine of QR10,000 ($2,746) each.

Prior to making its ruling, the court heard that the female defendant, who is from the Philippines, worked as a domestic helper in Qatar and helped set up the robbery of her Lebanese sponsor.

She apparently met one of the other defendants, who are both from Nigeria, in an online chatroom and developed a romantic relationship with him.

Plan

Al Raya reports that the boyfriend frequently visited the female defendant at her sponsor’s home when it was empty, and that she complained to him about being mistreated.

Witnesses said the female defendant gave her boyfriend the house key to duplicate it so that he and a friend could rob and kill the sponsor while she and her sponsor’s wife were out of the country on vacation.

The female defendant was acquitted on the charge of attempted murder, but was convicted of being an accomplice to the crime, by inciting the first defendant to rob and attempt to kill the victim.

She also was convicted of giving him vital information to facilitate the crime, including when the victim’s wife would travel, so that he knew when the sponsor would be alone in the apartment. She also reportedly gave him the password to an ATM card stolen during the robbery.

According to the court, the first defendant had previously made a failed attempt to break into the house, but one of the neighbors saw him climbing up the pipes, so he ran away.

However, he later returned with the second defendant to commit the crime, according to the court.

The incident

Al Raya reports that last July, the two defendants broke into the sponsor’s home wearing ski masks and holding two wooden sticks.

The first defendant waited for the sponsor in the bathroom, and when spotted, got into a scuffle with the man.

They fell to the ground and as the victim attempted to remove the first defendant’s mask, the second defendant hit him on the head from behind with the wooden stick.

The victim got dizzy and as he attempted to stand up, the first defendant delivered another blow to the head, causing him to lose consciousness.

The defendants then stole the victim’s safe, in addition to many other items including car keys, a watch, perfume, a mobile phone and a wallet.

The victim was supposed to meet a friend for iftaar, and when he didn’t turn up or answer his phone, the friend got worried and went to the man’s house.

The friend observed the victim’s car parked outside the home, but when he went up to the apartment, no one answered the door, prompting him to call the police.

Officers reportedly broke down the door and found the victim bleeding and unconscious. He received first aid and was then transferred to the hospital for medical treatment.

The female defendant was ordered to be deported after serving her sentence.

Thoughts?