A 34-year-old unemployed man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Melaka High Court after pleading guilty to an alternative charge of culpable homicide involving his male friend six years ago.
Judge Datuk D. Suria Kumar sentenced AS Sitambarasan to begin serving his term from the date of his arrest on September 23, 2020, taking into account the public interest, including the manner in which the victim was killed and the disposal of his body.
In delivering the sentence, the judge advised Sitambarasan to reflect on his actions, repent and avoid committing similar offences in future, pointing out that his crime had also placed a burden on his family.
“While you are in prison, I hope you reflect on this… this should never have happened. Otherwise, you would be with your mother, who is suffering from cancer, and taking care of her. Your wife was also involved in an accident and suffered a broken leg. You should be with your wife and helping her,” he said.
According to the facts of the case, Sitambarasan and two other individuals were accused of killing Sua Chun Chai, 31, who was also unemployed, in front of a vehicle workshop in the Kuala Ina Small and Medium Industries area in Pulau Sebang, Alor Gajah, between September 14 and 17, 2020.
The case came to light when firefighters from the Alor Gajah Fire and Rescue Station and Tampin in Negeri Sembilan were extinguishing a fire involving a Honda Civic Ferio at about 8.09am on September 17, 2020.
During the operation, they discovered a black bag containing a body inside the vehicle.
Sitambarasan was charged under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same code, which provides for imprisonment of up to 30 years and a possible fine.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Firdaus Saleh prosecuted the case, while lawyer Andrew Lourdes represented Sitambarasan.
