British man found guilty of attempted murder in hotel hammer attack on 3 UAE women

LONDON – A jury has found a British man guilty of attempted murder in a vicious hammer attack on three tourists from the United Arab Emirates.

Philip Spence was convicted Tuesday. He had admitted the attack but denied attempting to kill the three sisters.

All three were severely injured in the April attack. One woman was left in critical condition and all three suffered head and facial injuries.

The April attack, and a later assault on an Emirati family in London, caused widespread consternation in the Gulf nation, where violent crime is rare.

British police said there was no indication the victims were targeted because of their nationality. They were attacked as they slept in a London luxury hotel.