A Nigerian man was sentenced to death by the Kuala Lumpur High Court today after being found guilty of murdering his four-year-old step-grandson by throwing the child from a third-floor apartment in Setapak six years ago.
Justice K. Muniandy imposed the sentence on Ibekwe Emeka Augustine, 48, after ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court heard that the killing took place between 7.45am and 8.15am on Nov 29, 2020, at the family’s apartment in Kuala Lumpur. Augustine was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or, alternatively, 30 to 40 years’ imprisonment and at least 12 strokes of the cane.
In the same proceedings, the court also convicted Augustine on four other charges — attempting to murder his seven-year-old biological son, causing grievous hurt to his wife, attempting suicide, and sexually assaulting his stepdaughter. He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on these charges, to run concurrently.
Justice Muniandy said the crimes were committed over the course of a single day and involved multiple victims. He noted that the accused continued his actions despite his wife trying to intervene and even after she was seriously injured.
The court was told that the victims fled the apartment in fear, later discovering the child’s body on the ground below. Augustine then attempted to take his own life.
The judge rejected the defence’s argument that the accused was under the influence of drugs or intoxicants, stating that such factors could not excuse the severity of the crimes.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir led the prosecution, while Augustine was represented by lawyer Zulkifly Awang, who said an appeal would be filed against the death sentence.
