A gay Saudi prince has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years for murdering his servant in a top London hotel.
Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud beat and strangled Bandar Abdulaziz to death in an attack that was said to have had a “sexual element”.
The prince bit the 32-year-old hard on both cheeks during the assault in their suite, at the five-star Landmark hotel, in February.
He left the victim with so many injuries, including bleeding in the brain, a fractured larynx and bruising in the abdomen, that pathologists could not say for certain what caused his death.
The Old Bailey was told Saud had attacked Mr Abdulaziz many times before, and the assault was the culmination of a campaign of “sadistic” abuse.
The 34-year-old killer had earlier been caught on CCTV repeatedly hitting Mr Abdulaziz in a lift at the hotel in Marylebone, central London.
(L-R) The killer and his victim
The prince, who had admitted manslaughter but denied murder, is a member of one of the world’s richest and most powerful dynasties.
He was found guilty of murder and also grievous bodily harm with intent, relating to the attack in the lift.
Saud initially claimed the aide’s injuries were caused by a mugging. But doubts were raised after police discovered CCTV footage of the lift attack on January 22.
Mr Justice Bean, sentencing, 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.”
He added: “Bandar was a vulnerable victim, entirely subjugated to your will. You were in a position of authority and trust over him, which you exploited ruthlessly.”
The prince, standing in the dock with his arms crossed, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down