Kerry's Killer

Kerry's alleged killer under the spot light
Published: April 09, 2009, 15:08

Arnold charged with murder in Winter case
By Awad Mustafa, Staff Reporter

A British expatriate charged with killing his South African ex-girlfriend pleaded not guilty after prosecution formally indicted him in a Dubai court on Thursday.

Mark Arnold, who faces charges of premeditated murder for killing Kerry-Carol Winter on August 20 last year said “no” after the charges were read out to him by a court translator Thursday morning.

Her body is yet to be found.

Arnold, 42 a former operations director at Hill International, is charged with beating Winter with a baseball bat at her house in Al Barsha in Dubai, killing her, wrapping her body in a blanket and putting her in a bag with weights before dumping in the sea.

The prosecution presented testimony of 10 witnesses, including a friend of Arnold who testified that he was asked by the defendant to buy a GPS tracking device, a waterproof bag and burlap sacks from Carrefour.

Another key witness was Arnold’s Pakistani driver who testified that he was told to collect Winter’s mobile from his house and to forward any message from it to Arnold while he was in the UK. The driver also testified that he drove Arnold around when the defendant was tracking Winter.

Arnold’s ex-wife Dianne Joy Arnold told prosecutors that she was approached by Arnold on the eve of August 25 after he drove Winter’s car to Dianne’s house. She saw Arnold was washing the car at her house and was asked by him to keep Winter’s mobile but she refused to do so.

A Russian witness who was the last person in contact with Winter before her disappearance testified that she received a call from Winter at 7 pm August 20 saying that she was being assaulted by Arnold. Later, she received an SMS from Winter claiming that she had left the country for a long weekend. The prosecution claimed that this SMS was sent by Arnold who had Winter’s mobile.

The prosecution told the court that Arnold’s fingerprints were found on Winter’s car. Also, Winter’s blood traces were found in the car, the prosecution told the court.
The case has been adjourned till April 24.

Arnold, who is defended by criminal lawyer Ahmed Al Hammadi also faces a civil suit from Winter’s family which is being handled by another criminal lawyer Hussain Al Jaziri.