A Glendale man who fatally ran down his daughter and seriously injured a former family friend wept with regret on Friday, then was sentenced to more than three decades in prison.
Faleh Hassan Al-Maleki, found guilty in the killing of his 20-year-old daughter Noor, will serve 34 1/2 years. “This does not have to do with honor,” Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Roland Steinle said. “This has to do with a man, his narcissism, his mean-spiritedness, his inability to forgive. He was driven to kill his daughter because it suited his purpose.”
The case drew international attention after authorities said Al-Maleki, an Iraqi immigrant, deliberately ran down his daughter in October 2009 because he believed she did not adhere to traditional cultural values and brought shame to her family.
Al-Maleki, 50, broke down crying and apologized in court Friday afternoon to his family and to Amal Khalaf, whose hip and thigh were broken when he drove his Jeep into her and his daughter as they walked in a Peoria parking lot. Noor was dating Khalaf’s son.
He fled to Mexico and London before being arrested later and returned to Arizona. His apology on Friday was the first time he publicly spoke about his daughter’s death.
“I wish I was dead and not her,” he said in Arabic. “I’m sorry. I’m very sorry.”
Steinle responded by sentencing Al-Maleki to 16 years in prison for second-degree murder, 15 years for the assault of Khalaf, and 3 1/2 years for leaving the scene of an accident.
Khalaf, who was the first to speak at Friday’s sentencing hearing, said in Arabic that she still doesn’t understand why Al-Maleki chose to hurt her, especially when the families had been so close.
“I just want to ask him what I did to him to put me in this situation,” said Khalaf, looking in front of her as a court interpreter translated her words.
Public defender Jeffrey Kirchler argued that mitigating factors should be considered. Among them, Kirchler said, were Al-Maleki’s apparent health problems, torture he faced in Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s regime and a lack of a criminal history.
That shouldn’t matter, said Deputy County Attorney Laura Reckart. Instead, she showed what she believed should matter in a PowerPoint presentation.
There were photos of Noor, smiling and serene. There were the frantic sounds of 911 calls, seeking help for the two women. There were photos of the aftermath of the crash, including knocked-down trees and debris in the state Department of Economic Security parking lot in Peoria.
As they watched and listened, Khalaf’s and Al-Maleki’s family members drew tissues to their eyes. One of Khalaf’s relatives rose and cursed in anger. Khalaf quickly hugged him, and security officials took him out of the courtroom.
Later, when Steinle spoke, he said the sentencing was one of the most difficult in his six years as a judge.
Noor Al-Maleki’s murder was without honor, Steinle said. She was like any other 20-year-old woman whose desire for independence caused tension with her parents. Her father reacted with hatred rather than understanding, Steinle said.
He recounted lessons from Buddhism, Islam and Christianity, which preach forgiveness and compassion.
“For someone to say this crime was committed to restore someone’s honor, they really do not understand what religion is all about,” Steinle said.
Noor would have pleaded for compassion for her father, Steinle said, which is why he sentenced Al-Maleki to 16 years for her murder rather than the maximum 22 years.
The judge said he hoped Al-Maleki’s time in state prison will lead him to reflect.
“As you sit in a jail cell, I hope you come to grips with what you did, because so far it’s been all about you,” Steinle said.
Al-Maleki’s prison placement will be determined by the Arizona Department of Corrections.