IPOH: A 49-year-old housewife charged with murdering her bedridden mother has to undergo psychiatric evaluation.
Magistrate Norizan Riduan said the accused, Chew Loong Thye, needs a psychiatric report to determine if she is fit to stand trial.
The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code was read out to Chew, who was not represented. She only responded that she understood the charge, which was read in Cantonese by an interpreter before the Magistrate.
No plea was recorded.
Chew was alleged to have murdered Ching Lai Kheng at a house in Lorong Kledang Utara 6, Taman Wang, Menglembu on Sunday at about 7.15pm.
The 70-year-old victim, who was bedridden, had just been brought home from an old folks’ home in Pusing and was found with a stab wound to her chest.
The accused is believed to have undergone prior mental health treatment.
Norizan asked the accused if she took psychiatric medication, to which she responded that she had not taken any on the day of the incident.
The court then set Nov 2 for the submission of the report and the relevant documents.
In the same Magistrate’s Court, plumber Muhammad Sofian Maisa, 35, was sentenced to 17 months in jail after pleading guilty to five charges of committing mischief by fire as well as splashing paint on houses and vehicles of five victims in Kerian, Taiping and Ipoh.
He committed the act at different locations here between April and June, involving losses of about RM2,450.
Deputy public prosecutor S. Kirthana urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, taking into consideration the impact and losses suffered by the victims and to serve as a deterrent.
National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Robert Gnanarajan asked for a minimum sentence, citing Muhammad Sofian’s low daily income and family responsibilities.
He said the accused was forced by loan sharks to commit the offences after borrowing RM5,000.
At a separate Magistrate’s Court, Muhammad Sofian pleaded guilty to four charges under Section 427 of the Penal Code.
He was alleged to have splashed paint on the gates, tiles and exterior walls of houses, as well as two vehicles, at different locations here between April and July, involving losses of about RM3,830.
Magistrate S. Punitha ordered him to serve one year in prison for each of the first two charges, with the sentences to run concurrently, and a further 18 months for each of the remaining two charges.
Muhammad Sofian was also sentenced by the Sessions Court to five years in jail after pleading guilty to one charge under Section 435 of the Penal Code of committing mischief by fire.
He was accused of pouring petrol, a flammable substance, onto a car at a house in Desa Pengkalan Mutiara on June 13 at about 4.15am.
