GEORGE TOWN: An elderly woman broke down in tears in a magistrate’s court here when six people, including four teenage boys and a woman, were charged with the murder of a hotel employee in Rifle Range.
The woman, believed to be a family member of the victim, was seated in the front row of the semi-packed gallery.
She then dashed out of the courtroom when her mobile phone rang in the midst of the court proceedings yesterday.
A. Thulasi, 30, E. Vinoth, 25, and the four boys aged 15 to 17, were jointly charged with two others who are still at large with the murder of M. Sathiwill, 20, at a flat unit in Rifle Range here between 1am and 1pm on June 27.
All six accused nodded when the charge was read to them in Tamil by an interpreter.
They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
No plea was recorded.
The offence is non-bailable.
Magistrate Mohamad Amin Shahul Hamid fixed Oct 3 for mention pending the medical report.
DPP Nurul Fatin Hussin prosecuted while all the accused were unrepresented.
It was reported that Sathiwill was found dead, wrapped in a bedsheet with his hands and legs bound with nylon ropes, in a room at his rented flat in Rifle Range at about 9.30am on June 28.
Thulasi was also brought to another magistrate’s court where she was charged with consuming drugs under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952.
In Kota Kinabalu, the Tourism Court postponed the trial of three people implicated over the deaths of four Chinese tourists following the sinking of a catamaran in the Lunar New Year.
The trial of Chung Ket Siew @ Chung Siaw Ping, 64, her son Leong Vin Jee, 44 and vessel skipper Sharezza Salian, 23, was supposed to begin yesterday.
However, Sessions Court judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim who sat as Tourism Court judge had to postpone the trial to Aug 7 as the prosecution had yet to receive the complete notes of proceedings from the magistrate’s court.
Among others, Chung, the director of Golden Sailing Travel Tour and Car Rental, is accused of allowing Leong, the company operations director, to use the vessel in a dangerous manner.
She and Leong are accused of causing the death of Chinese nationals He Runyuan, 46, Wang Jianye, 38, Xie Luo, 49 and Zhang Xiau Kun, 27, on Jan 28.
Leong and Sharezza face a joint charge for using a non-designated landing point at Kampung Tanjung Aru Lama for loading passengers and for them to disembark.
Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/07/07/six-charged-with-killing-hotel-worker-woman-breaks-down-in-courtroom-as-accused-brought-before-magis/#CM4Jy8PzycfMRZ5q.99
