“Legal medicine” probes the murder of a British businessman in Qatar

Legal medicine in the United Kingdom has put the likelihood of the murder of a British businessman in Qatar in 2019, ruling out the existence of a suicide, and asserting that a “crime” has been committed.

Britain’s Telegraph newspaper reported that the death of the businessman, who was found dead in Qatar after his “unsubstantiated” arrest, was not recorded as a suicide after forensic experts concluded that a murder could not be ruled out.

The newspaper added that the businessman, Mark Bennett (52 years-old), died by hanging in a hotel room in Doha on Christmas Day, after being held in a cell for a month on questionable charges.

The Journey of Death in Qatar

Bennett, who was a key figure in the Thomas Cook group, traveled to Qatar to establish a branch of Qatar Airways – Discover Qatar – where he spent seven years at the job.

At an investigative hearing in Sussex Court in South East Britain, Sarah Clark, the County Medical Officer, said that the late businessman had told his bosses that he was leaving his position to take another position in a Saudi company.

The man’s departure was initially thought to have been friendly, but in October 2019, Bennett was taken into custody, a coroner’s court in West Sussex heard. He was only released about a month later, on November 16.

The court also heard from civil defense officers, who detained the British businessman over allegations that he had seized Qatar Airways documents and posed a threat to national security.

Chris Nicola, a forensic officer, told the court: “He went to live with a friend who said that he seemed shocked, afraid, thin and calm, unlike his normal personality.”

His belongings and passport were confiscated and never returned, she said.

Bennett, originally from Hayward Heath in West Sussex, was forced to find a hotel during Christmas 2019, where the friends he was living with were due to leave for the holidays.

The businessman’s friends were dismayed when he did not answer his phone at Christmas, then he was found dead, and when his family went to Qatar to retrieve his body, they found signs that he was still planning for the future.

Clark told Bennett’s family, they would need to be convinced that there were no other explanations for the man’s death, if they were to record it as suicide.

She told the court: “While Mark died from hanging, there is not enough evidence of a suicide intent. The events of the months before his death remain unclear.”