By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Sept 29: A 33-year-old man with nine previous convictions pleaded not guilty in the High Court today to murdering a co-worker during a drunken quarrel in February.
The accused entered his plea before Judge Wong Siong Tung after the charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code was read out to him.
The offence carries the death penalty. If the court does not impose death, the alternative is imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years and at least 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
According to the charge, he committed the offence at a rented house in Taman Gading Height between 8pm and 10pm on February 11.
The court set November 30 for case management to allow time for the exchange of documents. The date will also give the court an opportunity to appoint legal counsel for the accused, who is currently unrepresented.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chuah Kai Sheng is prosecuting.
Police in Lundu were alerted at 7.12am on February 12 by a medical officer at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), following the death of an 18-year-old male believed to have been killed at a rented house in the district.
Lundu district police chief Superintendent Sudirman Kram said the victim was rushed to the hospital’s emergency unit unconscious and was pronounced dead on arrival.
He said a statement that preliminary examination found swelling around the eyes and left cheek, as well as dried blood on the nose.
Initial investigations showed the victim had attended a social gathering with several colleagues and is believed to have consumed alcohol beforehand.
An argument later broke out between the victim and a co-worker who lived in the same house, escalating into a physical fight. It is understood the victim had provoked the accused before the altercation began.
The victim reportedly collapsed after the fight and was taken to hospital by the accused. However, after the victim was declared dead, the accused fled. He was arrested on March 16 at a workshop in Sibu.
A preliminary check revealed that he had nine prior records involving house-breaking, possession of stolen property, theft in a dwelling, and drug offences.
Two of his associates, both Indonesian nationals, were also detained separately. — DayakDaily
