Pardon by victim’s father saves Saudi from gallows

A Saudi court annulled a death sentence against a drunk driver who had jumped the light and killed another Saudi after he was pardoned by the victim’s father, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The defendant was accused of drunk driving and speeding after he jumped the light in Jeddah and rammed into a parked car, killing its driver, Okaz reported.

An initial court sentenced him to 80 lashes and ordered him to pay blood money but an appeal court found him guilty of homicide and sentenced him to death.

The man has spent nearly two years in jail waiting for the death verdict to be executed before the court abolished the sentence this week.

“The court decided to reduce the sentence to lashing and payment of blood money after the victim’s father retracted his demand to execute the killer of his son to mark the holy month of Ramadan. The court will reconvene after Eid Al Fitr for the necessary procedures,” the paper said.

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