KUALA LUMPUR: A former contractor has been ordered to enter his defence by the High Court here over the murder of his wife, who was suffocated with a comforter.
Justice K. Muniandy made the order after ruling that the prosecution had successfully proven a prima facie case against the 50-year-old accused Chuah Chin Hoe.
"At the end of the prosecution's case, with the evidence tendered which this court had viewed in totality and gave it a maximum evaluation, the court concluded that the accused was the last person together with his deceased wife in their room the night before and on the morning after she was found dead," he said here on Thursday (Feb 8).
The judge opined that the chain of circumstances relied on by the prosecution to prove the charge against the accused was compelling.
"It is material consideration as a circumstance against the accused," said the judge adding that this called for an explanation from the accused.
"Therefore, this court decides to order the accused to enter his defence to the charge preferred against him under Section 180(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code," he said.
Chuah's lawyer, Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, told the court that his client chose to give testimony under oath from the witness stand.
The court then fixed a two-day defence hearing on April 24 and 25.
According to the charge sheet, Chuah was accused of murdering Lau Bee Hong, 46, at a condominium unit in Jalan Genting Klang, Setapak, between 2.30am and 9.30am on May 9, 2021.
He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code with murder.
During the trial which began on October 11, 2022, 17 prosecution witnesses, including the couple's two children, were called to testify.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir appeared for the prosecution.
The accused was also represented by lawyers Lavinia Raja and Revin Kumar.
