A Singaporean man in Melaka, Shahrul Nizam Zuraimy, will serve 72 years behind bars and get 24 strokes of the cane for murdering his wife and stepson.
After killing them, Shahrul beheaded his wife and dismembered their bodies before hiding his wife’s severed head on the roof to cover the stench.
A Singaporean man is sentenced to 72 years in jail and 24 strokes of the cane for the brutal murder of his wife and stepson in Melaka
Datuk Anselm Charles Fernandis, Melaka’s High Court Judge, instructed the sentence to start from the date Shahrul was arrested, which was on October 11, 2019.
Based on the two charges, Sharul killed his wife, Norfazera Bidin, who was 27 at that time, and his stepson, Muhammad Iman Ashraf Abdullah, who was only 11, at a house in Batu Berendam, Central Melaka, between October 6 to October 7 2019.
The court then sentenced Sharul to 36 years in jail and 12 strokes of the cane for each charge, which was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The victim’s family members and public prosecutors want the death sentence for Sharul
Judge Datuk Anselm imposed the sentence on Shahrul, who is 36 years old, after considering the arguments from the accused’s lawyer as well as the aggravating factors presented by the prosecution at the end of the defence case.
He also took into account the impact statements from the victim’s younger brother, mother, and sister.
“The accused did not provide any reasonable excuse, and the act was clearly intended to hide the identities of the two victims,” Judge Datuk Anselm explained.
Norfazera’s mother and sister, in their Victim Impact Statement (VIS), highlighted that they wanted Shahrul to be hanged to death, following the gruesome torture that the victim had to endure, which they dubbed “cruel.”
Deputy Public Prosecutors Mohd Asri Abd Rahman Sidik and Nur Syazwanie Marizan also requested the death penalty, taking into account the public interest, the number of victims, the level of cruelty, and the facts of the case.
The prosecution proposed that prison sentences for each offence be imposed separately, should the court find the death sentence inappropriate.
The accused, represented by lawyers Andrew Lourdes and Chua Yong Yi, pleaded for his client to be given a second chance as he had repented and regretted his actions, reported Sinar Harian.
Also read: PDRM: Uni Student Found Hanging from Ceiling Fan in Subang Home Likely Murdered by Someone She Knew
