The Omani artist Badria Mohamed al Balloushi and her husband Hamad Obaid Rashash have been sentenced to death by a criminal court after being found guilty of the murder of the Emirati poet and artist Ahmed Hussain Salarey, Al Bawaba reports.
Following a lengthy investigation the court found that the killers deliberately ran over the poet.
Salarey was getting into his car after meeting his mother for lunch when Rashash allegedly rammed the back of the poet’s car. When Salarey exited his car to assess the damage to his vehicle, Rashash ran him over. Salarey was severely wounded and died from his injuries on the scene.
The three were reportedly involved in a complex love triangle. Balloushi reportedly had two daughters with Salarey, before marrying Rashash. At the time of the murder Balloushi and Salarey were in the middle of a bitter custody battle over their children.
The married couple were accused of premeditating and executing the fatal attack.
Oman traditionally has a very low crime rate. The ruling is the first death sentence handed down since 2001.