Vocational College Student's Murder: First Accused Only Pushed, Swiped Victim On Shoulder

TAWAU, March 12 (Bernama) --The first accused in the murder of Lahad Datu Vocational College student Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan told the High Court here today that he did not hit the victim, but only pushed and swiped him on the shoulder.

The sixth defence witness said he reacted that way after being informed that Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat had stolen money belonging to the third and fourth accused.

"At about 10.30 pm, I went to dormitory room Resak 7 with the 10th and the third accused and at the staircase, we ran into the ninth accused who told me that the victim had confessed to stealing the money from the third and fourth accused.

"When I got to Resak 7, I saw the victim taking money out of a book and I ran towards him and pushed him, but the fifth accused stopped me and told me not to push the victim," he said, testifying before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol.

On Feb 28, Duncan ordered 13 teenagers, aged 16 to 19, to enter their defence on a charge of murdering Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat at the Lahad Datu Vocational College between 9 pm on March 21 last year and 7.38 am the following day (March 22).

They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, which provides the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years and up to 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.

Cross-examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nur Nisla Abdul Latif, the first accused agreed with the suggestion that he continued to run towards Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat due to frustration and anger because the victim was his close friend.

The prosecution team also included deputy public prosecutors Ng Juhn Tao and Batrisyia Mohd Khusri. Eight of the 13 teenagers were represented by lawyers Datuk Ram Singh, Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki and Chen Wen Jye while the other five were represented by lawyers Mohamed Zairi Zainal Abidin, Abdul Ghani Zelika, Vivian Thien, Jhesseny P Kang and Kusni Ambotuwo.

The trial continues this afternoon.

-- BERNAMA