Deceased Filipino nurse Mary Grace's husband has denied murdering her.
The police began investigating the IGMH nurse's death on October 19 last year, when her husband Marvin reported her death to the police as a suicide. The police arrested Marvin the following day and later arrested Marvin's lover and colleague, Haleemath Lamha, on December 16. Both Marvin and Haleemath worked as IGMH nurses.
In a hearing held at the Criminal Court on Monday, the State said Marvin killed his wife on the afternoon of October 19, 2021, by injuring her head and neck and suffocating her to death in their apartment in Male' City. While the State has charged him with deliberate murder, the charge carries a ten-year prison sentence. However, the State said as the depraved act was carried out in an Islamic nation where the Islamic Shariah law is in effect, a conviction on the charge could see the death penalty imposed on the defendant.
After the State read out the charges, Marvin's attorney Ismail Mohamed asked the State how Marvin had attacked Mary's head and neck and what instrument or weapon was used to carry out the attack.
Responding to the inquiry, State prosecutor Ahmed Nafal said the autopsy report confirms that Mary was attacked. However, the report does not state what was used to attack her. Despite this, the investigation has found other evidence that affirms that Mary was attacked, he said.
The State Prosecutor said the mobile forensic report on Marvin's phone shows he had googled information on 'how to knock someone out. Marvin himself had said he was the only one present in the apartment at the time, Naufal noted.
The defense asserted that Marvin did not kill Mary and that Marvin had never laid a finger on Mary at any point in time.
Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad then concluded Tuesday's hearing and scheduled another hearing for May 10, where the evidence will be presented.
Marvin's alleged accomplice, Haleemath Lamha's preliminary hearings are being held separately. The judge said when the preliminary stage is concluded, the trial will be carried out together for both Marvin and Lamha.
