Bahrain Briton loses final appeal

Richard Mechan and daughter Laura in Gloucester

A Gloucester man jailed in Bahrain for the manslaughter of a colleague has failed in a final appeal against conviction and a five-year sentence.

The Gulf state's supreme court rejected Richard Mechan's appeal and upheld the sentence.

Mechan was working in the Middle East as a computer technician when he allegedly stabbed American Marshall Emmons to death during a brawl.

The 36-year-old, who has been in jail for three years, appealed and the sentence was first reduced to seven years and then five at a second hearing.

Richard's lawyer did not place before the courts the petition set out by the former legal affairs minister

Terry Mechan

But Mr Mechan and his 60-year-old father Terry have fought on, maintaining his innocence because he was acting in self-defence.

On Monday, the pair from Huccelcote in Gloucester had hoped the Bahrain court would accept medical evidence supporting Mechan's self-defence plea and free him immediately.

But in a brief message from Bahrain, Terry Mechan said the appeal had been denied and the sentence remained unchanged.

'Legal affairs'

"At a brief hearing, Richard's lawyer, Taymoor Karimi, never turned up and Richard was again unrepresented.

"In spite of being instructed many times, Richard's lawyer, Taymoor Karimi, did not place before the courts the petition set out by the former legal affairs minister of Bahrain Dr Husain Al-Bharana."

Defence attorney Taimoor Karimi, said: "We cannot argue with the court's judgment anymore, now my client will have to serve his time."

"According to the court, my client's actions went beyond the point of self-defence."