Man Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison For Causing Death Of His Two-month Old Daughter

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- The Shah Alam High Court today sentenced a man to 16 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to causing the death of his two-month-old baby girl four years ago.

Judge Datuk Aslam Zainuddin handed down the sentence to Muhammad Danial Iman Mohd Sharif and ordered the prison term to take effect from the date of the accused’s arrest in July 2022.

In the grounds of judgment released on Jan 15, Judge Aslam stated that in any criminal case involving sentencing, the public interest is a factor that must be prioritised by the court.

"The accused pleaded guilty unconditionally and was sentenced to 16 years in prison starting from his date of arrest. The accused, dissatisfied with the sentence imposed, has now filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal," said Judge Aslam.

According to the case, the accused was charged with causing the death of a baby girl at his home in Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang, between July 30, 2022, and July 31, 2022. The charge was framed under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 30 years and a possible fine upon conviction.

According to the facts of the case, on July 29, 2022, the accused had an argument with his wife that led to a physical altercation. He threw his wife's mobile phone before she went to sleep at approximately 2:00 am, leaving the victim with the accused in the living room.

While alone with the infant, the accused picked the victim up from a cushion on the floor and slammed her down, causing the baby’s body from the waist up - to hit the floor. The victim began to cry.

The wife, who woke up later, saw the baby crying and fed her. At 4:30 pm the following day, the wife heard the baby crying continuously and felt uneasy as this had never happened before.

On July 31, 2022, at 5:45 pm, the accused again acted out by yanking the victim's hand, pressing on her stomach, and slamming her onto a cushion on the floor because he felt stressed. During this act, the baby’s head hit the corner of a table, causing injury.

The wife noticed that the baby’s lips were bleeding and her breathing was shallow. The accused informed her that the victim had "fallen" and hit her lips on a wooden pallet table. She then asked the accused to take their child to a clinic.

Investigations revealed the cause of death was intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) caused by blunt force trauma when the accused slammed the infant.

The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Nabilah Abd Rashid, while the accused was represented by lawyer Santhakumari.

-- BERNAMA