The punishment was meted out by Judge Datuk Zainal Azman Ab Aziz after the accused, Mohamad Zulkifli Ismail, 53, was found guilty of murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Zulkifli was charged with the murder of metal scrap collector Zulkefle Abdullah, 37, at a house in Kampung Labohan at 10.30am on Dec 7, 2015.
Zulkifli was also sentenced to 14 years in prison for causing grievous hurt to Zulkefle’s associate Faizul Awang, 34, at the same time, day and location.
Zainal Azman in his ruling said the defence failed to prove that the accused was acting in self-defence.
The judge said the accused could have fled the area if he was attacked as the home was fenceless.
“During the incident, the accused had a mobile phone but he did not use it to call for help. If the victim fled, the accused could have called for help as the incident happened nearby the main road.
“The defence claimed there was an act of provocation but there was the distance between the accused and the victims was quite far, so the issue of provocation does not arise.
“The accused claimed he injured the victims by accident but investigations showed that the stab wounds found on the victims’ right chests were inflicted on purpose.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Fadhli Mahmud and Syazwani Zawawi prosecuted while the accused was represented by Aizzul Shariman Mat Yusoff and Ariff Azami Hussein.
Before handing down the sentence, Zainal Azman said he took into account the public’s interest, adding that the punishment should serve as a lesson to the people.
He also reminded members of the public not to make the same mistake when facing similar situations.
“When faced with such a situation, contact the police and let them carry out their duty.”
Present were Mohamad Zulkifli’s family members.
It was reported that Mohamad Zukifli used a parang and attacked two men who had entered his home.
His case attracted widespread attention on social media and several Facebook groups were created in support of Mohamad Zukifli.
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Zulkifli was charged with the murder of metal scrap collector Zulkefle Abdullah, 37, at a house in Kampung Labohan at 10.30am on Dec 7, 2015. (NSTP/ROZAINAH ZAKARIA)
