KOTA KINABALU: The Coroner's Court was told that Zara Qairina Mahathir appeared emotionally distressed about an hour before she was found unconscious at a dormitory in SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha.
Lawyer Datuk Ram Singh said the 65th witness, who was then a Form Two student, saw Zara pacing along a third-floor corridor between 1am and 2am.
The witness, who had gone to another dormitory to look for a friend, said Zara appeared to be crying and had a flushed face.
"They spoke for about 10 minutes before the witness escorted Zara back to her dorm," Ram said, adding that Zara had made remarks about harming herself but was advised against it.
He described the testimony, presented before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan on the 61st day of the inquest, as significant.
Zara, 13 at the time, was found unconscious on the ground floor of the dormitory and was later pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Lawyer Joan Goh said the witness had initially come forward during Ramadan but no statement was recorded at the time.
She said the student had informed police but became frightened after a female officer raised her voice.
"The child was later comforted by a male officer, but no statement was taken," she said.
Goh added that the witness had been hesitant to speak about the incident and only recently disclosed details to a teacher, who then contacted the authorities.
She said the witness and Zara were close, although Zara was reluctant to discuss family matters.
Ram and Goh are representing one of five students accused of verbally abusing Zara.
Meanwhile, lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who represents Zara's family, said his team had received an 84-page report from consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Chua Sze Huang, who is expected to testify on Thursday.
The inquest continues tomorrow with the examination of the witness and her mother. A forensic pathologist, Datuk Seri Dr Phupinder Singh, is also expected to give evidence. - NST
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.