CAIRO: Police officer Adel Al Shahed, currently standing trial for the murder of former handball player Tamer Mashour, was sentenced to one month imprisonment Saturday by the Dokki Misdemeanors Court for his involvement in the initial altercation that led to Mashour's death. The court sentenced Al Shahed to one month and a LE 10,000 fine in lieu of compensation. Additionally, Mashour's brother Ihab and his friend Mohammed Fawzy were given a suspended sentence of one month and LE 10,000 fines for their part in the fight. Ihab Mashour told Daily News Egypt he had already appealed the verdict on Sunday. This case was brought to the misdemeanors court by the defendant's brother, who had first got into a street fight with Ihab Mashour before their brothers joined in. It was this altercation which led to the death of Tamer Mashour last November. Al Shahed is currently standing trial for his murder. He has admitted to shooting him with his gun while he was off-duty, but is claiming it was in self-defense. The misdemeanor case was running in conjunction with the murder trial, but according to Ihab it was constantly been delayed because the court required Al Shahed's testimony during the proceedings. He claimed that the Ministry of Interior was avoiding his attendance so that the verdict in this case would not influence the murder trial. "Thanks to the pressure exerted by the Prosecutor General's office he was finally made to attend and the sentence was handed out, Mashour said. Friend of the vicitm Mohammed Fawzy was also involved in the incident and is one of the witnesses in the murder trial. According to Ihab, immediately after Al Shahed shot his brother Tamer, Fawzy ran towards the officer and head-butted him. The closing statements in the murder trial will be made on April 26. After the closing statements, it is expected that the presiding judge will set another date for the final ruling.
