A father in Abu Dhabi was recently sentenced to three years behind bars after he killed his own child over poor school grades.

In an absolutely heartbreaking and maddening report, a father in Abu Dhabi was recently sentenced to three years behind bars after he killed his own child over poor school grades.

The Emirati dad, who goes by the name R M, reportedly whipped his 12-year-old child to death using an electrical cord in December of 2012. RM told the court he was angered after finding out his son had tried to hide his bad grades and went even further claiming his son was not raised to conceal the truth.

On the night of the murder, the boy had been sleeping next to his mother, when RM grabbed the cord and carried out the horrific attack. The next day, a maid found the child lying on the floor of a bedroom, completely unconscious. He was naked; his body covered in blood.

According to prosecutors, the boy had been afraid to show his father the grades, fearing how the man would react. RM, who is reportedly a former drug addict, admitted in previous court hearings that he handed out beatings to his son as a form of punishment, but he steadfastly denied intentionally killing the child.

RM received the maximum sentence of three years, as the relatives of the boy chose not to seek the death penalty.