Chiam Nguang Huat was found guilty of setting his wife Lai Siew Fong, 37, on fire and killing her.
Chiam did not show any reaction when Judicial Commissioner Nordin Hassan read out the sentence.
He also remained nonchalant when the court interpreter told him in Hokkien that he would be hanged to death.
Chiam then turned around and whispered to his sobbing relatives that he would be hanged.
Chiam was charged with murdering Lai at 59, Jalan Bayu Mutiara, Bukit Mertajam at 4pm on June 24, 2013.
In trial, the court heard Chiam and Lai had a quarrel before Chiam set Lai on fire.
Chiam had then gone into hiding in the Klang Valley, before he was arrested nine months after the incident.
Lai was treated at the Penang Hospital burns unit. She succumbed to her injuries three months later.
In his judgement, Nordin said the prosecution presented evidence which confirmed testimonies heard in court. He added that the defence failed to raise reasonable doubt.
Nordin said Chiam had bought a plastic bottle to be filled with petrol, which proves that the latter had the intention to murder her.
Nordin added that Chiam’s two children who gave testimony to the court also revealed that the latter had poured petrol on her and ignited it by throwing a lit cigarette on the floor.
Nordin also quashed Chiam’s defence that he was suicidal and had accidentally lit Lai on fire in the process.
“If he (Chiam) wanted to commit suicide, he would not saved himself when the fuel was lit up,” Noordin said.
Nordin said the court had also taken into account that Lai was being physically abused by Chiam.
No comments:
Post a Comment