The High Court here on Wednesday sentenced a 22-year-old man to death by hanging after he pleaded guilty to murdering and burning his pregnant girlfriend two years ago.
Judge Norazlin Othman delivered the sentence after Muhammad Fakrul Aiman Sajali maintained his guilty plea.
Muhammad Fakrul, 22, was accused of killing Nur Anisah Abdul Wahab, 21, between 8:30 p.m. on May 22 and 8 a.m. on May 23, 2023, at Jalan Sungai Limau. The charge was under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries either the death penalty or life imprisonment of 30 to 40 years, along with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane if the death sentence is not imposed.
In her judgment, Norazlin said the court was satisfied that the guilty plea was unconditional, and that the accused acknowledged the facts of the case and the evidence presented by the prosecution.
The judge described the crime as extremely cruel and premeditated, requiring a heavier sentence compared to spontaneous acts of violence. She noted that the case involved not only the victim’s life but also her unborn child, who was 18 weeks into pregnancy at the time of death.
According to the post-mortem report by the Forensic Department of Sungai Buloh Hospital, the victim’s body was almost entirely burned. The autopsy revealed stab and slash wounds to the abdomen and palms, and evidence that the accused had bludgeoned her head with a stick, dragged her to a ditch, and then stabbed her abdomen and slashed her neck using a knife from his car.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Ashiqin Zulkifli presented 112 exhibits to the court, including ultrasound images of the fetus, a knife, a wooden stick, and the victim’s clothing. She said the crime was particularly serious as it involved a human life, especially that of a pregnant woman, and highlighted that the manner of death was exceptionally brutal and premeditated.
In mitigation, defense lawyer Muhammad Nor Tamrin argued that his client had been made a scapegoat after DNA testing by the Chemical Department of Malaysia confirmed that the 18-week-old fetus did not belong to Muhammad Fakrul. He also stated that the accused had been under pressure from a man claiming to be the husband of the victim’s cousin, who allegedly coerced him to take responsibility for the pregnancy.
Muhammad Nor added that Muhammad Fakrul was a college student with no prior criminal record, no disciplinary issues, and an excellent academic record, with a cumulative grade point of 3.80. He requested the court to consider the minimum sentence given the accused’s guilty plea before trial.
