PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has reduced the prison sentence of a former soldier from 40 years to 35 years for the 2017 murder of a retired teacher during a robbery.
Zarmayade Abdullah, 49, succeeded in his appeal to shorten his prison sentence but failed to overturn his murder conviction.
Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, leading a three-man bench, upheld Zarmayade's conviction, stating that the High Court and Court of Appeal did not err in convicting him.
"Based on the overall evidence, the conviction stands and the appeal against conviction is dismissed," Tengku Maimun who sat with Justices Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang and Datuk Hanipah Farikullah.
However, the court accepted Zarmayade's appeal regarding the length of the sentence and substituted his 40-year term with a 35-year term and Zarmayade will serve his sentence starting from the date of his arrest on April 16, 2017.
The court, however, upheld the 12 strokes of the cane imposed on Zarmayade by the Court of Appeal.
On Dec 22, 2020, the High Court found Zarmayade guilty of murdering Rokiah Mamat, 61 and sentenced him to death.
According to the charge sheet, the crime took place at a house in Kampung Mengkebang, Jalan Batu Lada in Kuala Krai, Kelantan, between 11am and 3pm on April 12, 2017.
On Aug 24, 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction but commuted his death sentence to 40 years in prison with 12 strokes of the cane. He then took his case to the Federal Court.
Lawyers Ahmad Nizam Mohamed and Firdaus Mohd Yusoff represented Zarmayade at today's proceedings while Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Amril Johari appeared for the prosecution. – Bernama
