British teacher found dead in Qatar 'was sexually assaulted, stabbed, burned and then her body dumped in the desert'

Lauren Patterson's burned body was dumped in a pit in the desert in Qatar

Two men are on trial accused of her murder and dumping her remains

Prosecutor has called for the first defendant to be given the death penalty

Court heard a knife was found lodged in the 24-year-old's rib cage

A British school teacher found dead in Qatar had been sexually assaulted and stabbed before her burnt remains were left smouldering in a remote desert location, a court heard.



The prosecutor in a court in Doha called for one of two men on trial to be given the death penalty for allegedly murdering 24-year-old Lauren Patterson - calling it 'heinous and shocking' to the country's 'conservative society'.



Miss Patterson's mother Alison Patterson from West Malling, Kent, and other family members, were in court to hear how a post mortem on her remains led to the discovery of a knife lodged inside her rib cage.

'Excited to be back': Lauren Patterson, right, was clubbing with best friend Lea Monet, left, before she was killed. Two Qatari men are on trial and the prosecutor has called for one of them to be given the death penalty



Two Qatari men, who have not been named, were arrested after being identified by Miss Patterson's friend as being the last people to see her alive, the court heard.



At an earlier hearing last month the friend testified how she and Miss Patterson and the two men, who they were 'casually acquainted with', left a nightclub at La Cigale Hotel in Doha around 3.30am on October 12 last year.



She said Miss Patterson, who had just returned from attending her grandmother's funeral in England, was not drunk and was 'aware of her surroundings'.

She said the men dropped her home with the promise they would also drop off her friend shortly afterwards at her house.



The friend told the court when she tried to call Miss Patterson the following morning her phone was off.



She said when she asked the first defendant about this, he said he could have dropped off Miss Patterson at the wrong building.



At court: Miss Patterson's mother Alison and uncle Brian Roke, were in court in Doha

The friend said the next day she noticed he had a cut on his lower lip and it was swollen, which were not there when she last saw him.



At Thursday's hearing the prosecutor said one of the defendants took Miss Patterson to a home he used for sexual trysts with women, 'conquered her body', and killed her by stabbing her twice.



He said with the help of the second defendant, he put Miss Patterson's body in the boot of his car and drove her out of the city of Doha to Al-Kharrara, where they burned her remains.



The court was told a knife was found inside the 24-year-old's rib cage.



At a previous hearing on January 27 a forensic doctor testified he went to the crime scene on a farm in Al-Kharrara, near Wakrah.



He said he found a pit containing the remains of a smouldering human body.



He said a knife was stuck in 'what appeared to be' the rib cage of the body.



Due to the extensive damage to the body from the fire, the doctor said he could not ascertain whether the cause of death was by stabbing, whether there was alcohol in the body, or if any sexual contact had taken place.



The court heard a detailed forensic investigation also uncovered a strand of Miss Patterson's hair in the first defendant's car, and matching sand granules were found on the remains, the tyres of his car and shoes at his home.



The prosecutor called for the first defendant to get the death penalty for intentionally killing Patterson.



He said because the defendant is Muslim, the Islamic Shari'a principal of qasas (retribution) should be exacted in the form of the death penalty.

Link: Miss Patterson was identified by DNA which was matched to her mother Alison (right), a reflexologist

He said Miss Patterson, who worked at a primary school in Doha, had been sexually assaulted but forensic tests could not prove this because the remains were too badly burned.



The prosecutor said that even if the sex was consensual, the defendant and Miss Patterson were not married, so the act was still a crime in Islam.



He also asked the court to punish the first defendant for having sex outside of marriage and for alcohol consumption.



Both defendants are also charged with burning Miss Patterson's body and 'damaging and erasing' evidence.



The prosecutor did not specify how many years in prison he was seeking for the second defendant, only saying the maximum sentence should be given.



The defence argued there was 'not one piece of solid evidence' against the defendants.



He said the cause of death could not be determined by the forensic examiner and alleged the defendants' confessions were made under duress.



He said the first defendant was in prison for 10 days before his family found out he had been arrested.

School: The 24-year-old was working as a teacher at The Newton International School in Doha for several months before she was killed

His lawyer was also not present for his confession, the defence claimed.



He said Miss Patterson willingly went to the first defendant's home where she got into an argument with him about her ex-boyfriend, who was a mutual friend.



Phone records support the first defendant called Miss Patterson's ex-boyfriend at this time, the court heard.



He said Miss Patterson grew 'hysterical' and attacked the first defendant with a knife, cutting his lip in a fit of rage.



He claimed she fell on the floor where the knife hit her.



He also said there was no evidence to support the alcohol consumption and illicit sex charges, and asked that both defendants be acquitted based on 'lack of evidence'.



A lawyer representing Lauren's family addressed the court, asking for the the 'strongest punishments' to be given to the defendants.

Favourite: Lauren enjoyed an evening at Club 7, pictured, before she was killed

He also petitioned the court for monetary compensation, saying that Miss Patterson's mother had requested 20 million Qatar Riyal (aprox £3.6 million pounds) be paid by the defendants - 15 million Qatar Riyal for the pain Miss Patterson must have endured before her death, and five million Qatar Riyal for the emotional damage felt by her mother.



After the hearing MIss Patterson's mother and other family supporters declined to comment on the case.

Qatari journalists say MIss Patterson's murder has drawn significant international attention, and the trial has proceeded quickly through the country's often slow court system.



This was the third hearing of the case in a court in Doha with a verdict scheduled to be delivered on March 27.



At the earlier court hearing on January 27 a police officer testified he had seen a pick-up truck with two men driving near the crime scene the night Miss Patterson's body was dumped.



He said the driver was nervous, but he could not positively identify them as the defendants in the courtroom.



The officer told the court the truck was not registered to the first defendant, but records showed he had driven it to Saudi Arabia numerous times.

