Saudi prince convicted in UK of murdering servant

A jury at Old Bailey criminal court found Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saudi "guiltty of murdering Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz in a brutal assault at the Landmark Hotel here on February 15."

The 34-year-old prince, whose grandfather is a brother of the current Saudi King, faces a possible life prison term when he will be sentenced tomoorow.

Prince Saud also faces the death penalty if he ever returns to his home country over gay sex life if he ever returns to his home country and may have to apply for asylum when he is eventually released.

Being gay is a capital offence in Saudi Arabia.The prince was fuelled by champagne and 'sex on the beach' cocktails when he bit the 32-year-old hard on both cheeks during the attack. They had just returned from a Valentine's Day night out when Saud launched the ferocious assault.

Abdulaziz had suffered "a series of heavy punches or blows to his head and face" leaving his left eye closed and swollen, his lips split open and his teeth chipped and broken.
There were also severe injuries to the neck consistent with "manual compression" as well as bleeding to the brain.

Jurors heard that Mr Abdulaziz was left so worn down and injured - having suffered a "cauliflower" ear and a swollen eye from previous assaults - that he let Al Saud kill him without a fight.

Abdulazizi, an orphan adopted into the family of a low-ranking civil servant in Jeddah, met the prince a few years ago and had spent some time travelling with him as an 'occasional companion'.

Saud denied killing Abdulaziz until two weeks before his trial started when he changed his account, admitting he had caused the fatal injuries.But his lawyers failed in an attempt to have evidence of his gay lifestyle kept secret, claiming it was not relevant to the trial