Gay Saudi prince who beat his manservant to death is jailed for life... then we'll probably offer him asylum

A gay Saudi prince has been jailed for life today with a minimum term of 20 years for beating and strangling his servant to death in the culmination of a campaign of 'sadistic' abuse.
Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud was found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering Bandar Abdulaziz in a 'brutal' assault at their five-star hotel suite.
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 in February.
It was also revealed he could seek asylum upon release, because homosexuality is punishable by death in his home country.

Before the violence: Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud, left, with his servant Bandar Abdulaziz share a cocktail during their fateful stay in London

They had just returned from a Valentine's Day night out when Saud launched the ferocious assault.
When he was arrested he at first wrongly believed he had diplomatic immunity but his special status as a Saudi royal could not save him from British justice.
The 34-year-old, a member of one of the world's richest and most powerful dynasties, was found guilty of murder by the jury after just one hour and 35 minutes of deliberation.
The sentence means end to his luxury playboy lifestyle, funded by his wealthy family, in which he dined in fine restaurants and secretly entertained gay escorts in his plush hotel room.

Convicted: Gay killer Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud was fuelled on Champagne and 'sex on the beach' cocktails when he attacked his servant

Sentencing him today, Mr Justice Bean said: 'It is very unusual for a prince to be in the dock on a murder charge.
'No-one in this country is above the law.
'It would be wrong for me to sentence you either more severely or more leniently because of your membership of the Saudi royal family.'
The prince, standing in the dock with his arms crossed, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down.
In court his lawyers had tried to cover up evidence of his homosexuality.
If he ever returns to his home country he faces the possibility of execution - not because of the killing but because being gay is a capital offence there.
Before the trial, the Foreign Office warned the royal could be prosecuted by his family under sharia law for causing them 'shame'.
It confirmed he would be 'entitled to apply for asylum' if he was deemed at risk after being released from jail.
Under human rights laws, a prisoner cannot be deported to a country allowing the death penalty unless assurances have been made to prevent the execution.
The murder of Mr Abdulaziz was the final act in a 'deeply abusive' master-servant relationship in which the prince carried out frequent attacks on his aide 'for his own personal gratification'.


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