A 37-year-old unemployed man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison and 12 strokes of the rotan by the Tawau High Court after pleading guilty to killing a roti canai cook in Lahad Datu three years ago.
Ridzuan Ahmad Zaini Logan entered his guilty plea after the charge was read before Judicial Commissioner Steve Ritikos, Sinar Harian reported.
According to the charge, Ridzuan killed Sirlin Salleh, 36, in a bushy area in Kampung Pisang, Lahad Datu, between 6am and 8am on November 14, 2023.
He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, together with at least 12 strokes of the rotan if the death penalty is not imposed.
Sirlin, a mother of five, was found partially clothed by family members at around 8.15am, approximately 600 metres from her home.
Her husband said she was believed to have been walking through the area on her way to work when the incident occurred.
A forensic examination found blunt force injuries to her head, several slash wounds to her neck and injuries to her hands, believed to have been sustained while she attempted to defend herself.
During sentencing submissions, defence lawyer Kamarudin Chinki asked the court to impose a 30-year prison term and 12 strokes of the rotan, citing Ridzuan’s guilty plea to the most serious charge under the Penal Code.
He said his client regretted Sirlin’s death and that his decision to plead guilty demonstrated that he was accepting responsibility for his actions.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Nisla Abdul Latif urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, either the death penalty or the maximum 40-year prison term, citing the circumstances surrounding the killing.
She described the crime as “extremely gruesome, cruel and inhumane”.
Nur Nisla also told the court that Sirlin was believed to have been sexually assaulted before being dragged through the bushes, with her mouth tied and her throat slashed.
She said Sirlin had returned to work just six months after giving birth to help support her husband and their five children.
The court ultimately sentenced Ridzuan to 35 years in prison and 12 strokes of the rotan, with the sentence backdated to his arrest on November 17, 2023.
