Vocational College Student Murder Case: Warden Recalls Finding Victim Unconscious

TAWAU, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- A hostel warden of Lahad Datu Vocational College testified at the High Court here today that he found college student Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan unconscious in his hostel room.

Muhammad Nuhrullah Aminuddin, 30, the prosecution's second witness, said the second accused in the murder case informed him at 6.35 am on March 22 that the victim was having a seizure.

“I rushed from my house, which is not far from the boys' hostel, to the student who was located in room 7 Belian.

“Upon arriving, I found the deceased lying on a mattress unconscious. I checked his nose, breathing, pulse, and chest, but there was no response,” he said during the trial before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol.

Thirteen students, aged between 16 and 19, are charged with jointly murdering Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat, 17, in rooms 7 Resak and 5 Belian at Lahad Datu Vocational College between 9 pm on March 21 and 7.39 am on March 22.

The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code, carries the death penalty or imprisonment for 30 to 40 years and not more than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.

Muhammad Nuhrullah, who is also a teacher at the college, said he contacted the college director, Ahmad Fakhrurazi Hamzah, and chief warden Afif Aziz to report the situation.

He added that Ahmad Fakhrurazi instructed him to call emergency services via 999 for assistance.

“During the call, the medical officer instructed me to perform chest compressions until the ambulance arrived. Emergency services later took over upon reaching the vocational college,” he said.

When Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nur Nisla Abd Latif asked about the second accused’s demeanour when reporting the seizure, Muhammad Nuhrullah noted that the accused appeared nervous.

The witness also observed injuries on the victim’s lips during his examination of the student.

In response to a question from defence lawyer Kamaruddin Mohmad Chinki, Muhammad Nuhrullah clarified that he was not on duty as a warden on the night of March 21, as another teacher was on duty.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Fakhrurazi, the prosecution’s first witness, testified during cross-examination by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh that he could not detect any heartbeat or pulse when examining the victim.

“I felt the victim’s body was still warm, which motivated me to perform CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) based on my knowledge,” he said.

However, Ahmad disagreed with lawyer Mohamad Zairi Zainal Abidin’s suggestion that the victim could have been saved if he had been taken to the hospital immediately after being found.

During re-examination by Nur Nisla, the witness reiterated his disagreement with the defence’s suggestion, stating that the victim had no detectable breath or pulse at the time.

“The vocational college van was ready to transport the victim to the hospital, but Muhammad Nuhrullah (who made the emergency call) was instructed by the hospital to wait for the ambulance, which was on its way,” he added.

The prosecution is being carried out by DPPs Nur Nisla, Ng Juhn Tao, and Nur Batrisyia Mohd Khusri.

Eight of the 13 accused are represented by lawyers Ram, Kamaruddin, and Chen Wen Jye, while the remaining five are defended by Mohamad Zairi, Abdul Ghani Zelika, Vivian Thien, Jhassany P Kang, and Kusni Ambotuwo.

The trial continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA