FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN CONVICTED OF STEPSON'S MURDER

JOHOR BAHRU, July 16 (Bernama) -- The Federal Court here today upheld the death sentence imposed on a man who murdered his six-year-old stepson 13 years ago.

A three-judge panel led by the Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat made the unanimous decision to reject the application by Azman Abd Rahman, 49, for a review to have his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment in accordance with the Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023.

Tengku Maimun accepted the prosecution’s objection to Azman’s review application to set aside the death sentence against him.

“The application from the applicant (Azman) is hereby rejected and the existing sentence is upheld,” said Tengku Maimun, who sat with Federal Court judges Datuk Nordin Hassan and Datuk Hanipah Farikullah.

Earlier, Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, head of the Trials and Appeals Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers, objected to the review application by Azman, who was represented by Lawyer S. Vijay Ratnam, and requested that the court uphold the death sentence.

“The autopsy discovered more than 72 injuries on the victim’s body, particularly in the muscles, lungs, head and abdomen, resulting from strong blows with a blunt object.

“According to the witness, an employee of the applicant, he attempted to stop Azman from beating the six-year-old victim, but was scolded and told to stay out his family affairs,” said Mohd Dusuki.

Meanwhile, Vijay Ratnam requested the court to set aside the death sentence and allow a review, arguing that his client deeply regrets his actions and is now suffering from several diseases, including antisocial personality disorder, hypertension, and chronic hepatitis C.

On June 5, 2015, the High Court in Melaka sentenced Azman to death after finding him guilty of murdering Muhammad Firdaus Mohd Dan at an oil palm plantation in Kampung Solok Pinang Gadek, Alor Gajah, Melaka, between 10.30 am and 2.15 pm on Oct 10, 2011.

Azman’s appeal was rejected by the Putrajaya Court of Appeal on Sept 7, 2016, and the Federal Court subsequently upheld the conviction and sentence on Oct 5, 2017.

According to the facts of the case, on the day of the incident, as they were heading to the applicant’s workplace, the victim told Azman that he needed to urinate or defecate, only to be slapped hard on the cheek.

Upon arriving at the location, Azman scolded the victim and kicked the child in the ribs and beat him repeatedly with a tree branch until the child collapsed.

Azman then took the child to Alor Gajah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

-- BERNAMA