Image copyright BBC Image caption The victims’ families shouted “murderers” as supporters celebrated what they called a “righteous verdict”
Hundreds of people have celebrated the guilty verdicts returned against the former owners of a local band shop.
The jury found two brothers from Saudi Arabia guilty of the murders of Ahmadi Mowattat and his partner and a number of burglaries in the region.
Now Ahmadi Mowattat’s cousin Abunath Mowattat, says he hopes the verdicts will spark a change in the Gulf Kingdom.
“They can do their time but then they will have to pay the price in public opinion.
“How can they even think of buying a house?
“They will have to be proven to be “unworthy” before they can be allowed to get a licence.”
Warning: some readers may find the next paragraph disturbing
The two defendants, Ali Jassem bin Jassem Al-Ghamdi and his brother Osman Ali bin Jassem Al-Ghamdi, will be sentenced on Friday.
Ahmad Moussa managed to escape the gang and handed himself in to police.
Prosecutors said the brothers, who came to Sussex from the kingdom to study, became obsessed with stealing by watching news coverage of knife crime in Britain and would plan their crimes from their hotel room or bedroom window.
Mr Moussa pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary.
Lauded Saudi Prince
The charges against Ahmadi Mowattat and his partner Sabrine Ahmed were for setting fire to his shop in Wivelsfield.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the shop had been robbed three times, while other burglaries occurred at homes, cars and holidays.
Prosecutor James Storey said both brothers were “excited to commit crimes in English for a variety of reasons”.
“Where one or the other has been to this country, they expect that things will continue to be done the same way in the country,” he said.
Photo credit: West Sussex Police
Ahmad Moussa said neither had expressed any remorse and accused his cousin’s lawyers of deceiving him to secure a guilty verdict.
The prince, who had been visiting the area during the trial, told the court of how his family were being treated unfairly by the justice system.
Ahmad Moussa said: “During the trial my cousin told me that Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was interested in investing in the country of Saudi Arabia and had spoken with Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and other government officials.
“The Crown Prosecution Service were to follow up their requests.”