Teen to face 10-day trial in August over Bandar Utama school killing

 The hearing is scheduled to run from Aug 3 to 7 and Aug 10 to 14.

The Shah Alam High Court fixed April 3 for the next case management.

PETALING JAYA:

 A 15-year-old boy charged with murdering a female schoolmate at a secondary school in Bandar Utama last year will stand trial for 10 days in August.

The teenager’s lawyer, Kitson Foong, said the trial dates were fixed during a pre-trial case management before Shah Alam High Court judge Adlin Abdul Majid last Friday.

The hearing is scheduled to run from Aug 3 to 7 and Aug 10 to 14.

Foong told FMT that both the prosecution and defence submitted a statement of agreed facts and a list of issues for the court to decide, to help streamline proceedings.

“There are only two issues. One is whether the accused had the intention to kill, and whether what he did in the physical sense of the word caused the death of the victim.

“Those are the only two things that the judge needs to decide,” he said.

Foong said several basic facts of the incident were not disputed by either side, including that it involved a stabbing.

Both parties also agreed on a list of exhibits and to limit the number of witnesses called during the trial.

He said the defence had waived the right under Section 399 of the Criminal Procedure Code to call certain experts, such as chemists, DNA specialists and doctors, adding that only essential witnesses would be called.

The court fixed April 3 for the next case management to address administrative matters, followed by another on July 17 when physical exhibits are expected to be marked before the trial begins.

The boy, identified in court as L, is charged with killing the 16-year-old girl in a toilet at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4) on Oct 14 last year. He was charged with her murder on Oct 22.

He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code in the High Court last month. Proceedings are being held in camera as the case involves a juvenile. - FMT