Couple convicted for maid's murder wants to adduce evidence from pathologist

A couple who was convicted for the murder of a Cambodian maid, by allegedly starving her, wants to adduce additional evidence from a forensic pathologist in a bid to secure their acquittal.

Counsel Gopal Sri Ram, representing Soh Chew Tong and his wife Chin Chui Ling, told the court that it was vital to refer to a report made by Prof Dr K Nadesan, from University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), to determine whether the deceased died due to starvation or other causes.

He said there were two types of medication found in the deceased's room and the post-mortem report did not deal with that.

Store owner Soh, 47, and Chin, 44, were sentenced to death after the Court of Appeal restored their conviction to the original charge for the murder of the 24-year-old maid, Mey Sichan, who only weighed 26.1kg.

The couple was initially sentenced to 24 years' jail each by the Sessions Court in Penang on May 16, 2013 on a reduced charge of committing culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

However, the Court of Appeal, on Oct 7, 2015 allowed the prosecution's cross-appeal to restore the original charge for murder.

The Federal Court five-person panel, led by Justice Suriyadi Halim Omar, set March 22 to hear the couple's application for additional evidence and also to hear their appeal after deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud requested for time to respond to the couple's affidavit.

Awang Armadajaya, who objected to the application for additional evidence, said he received the affidavit and Nadesan's report yesterday afternoon and wanted to reply to the affidavit.

He told the court that the prosecution was also objecting to Nadesan's report being exhibited at this stage because the court had yet to decide whether the document was admissible.

The maid, who started working with the couple in July 2011, was found dead at the couple's shophouse with fresh injuries on her body and was severely dehydrated. She had sunken cheeks and eye-sockets.

The couple was alleged to have committed the offence at their home in Taman Asas Murni, Jalan Bukit Minyak in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, between Jan 1 and April 1, 2012.

The judgment of the Court of Appeal's three-person panel held that medical evidence established beyond doubt that the neglect and mistreatment of the deceased by the accused was a factual cause of her death.

Court of Appeal judge Zakaria Sam, who wrote the court's judgment, said the deceased died a slow and painful death through protracted abuse and starvation.

- Bernama