End of the road: Azman (centre) being escorted by prison officers at the Johor Baru High Court. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: The Federal Court has upheld the death sentence by hanging of a former land broker who murdered his six-year-old stepson 13 years ago.
A three-judge panel led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat unanimously upheld the decision after rejecting an application made by Azman Abd Rahman, 49, for a review to commute his death sentence.
Besides Justice Tengku Maimun, Federal Court judges Justices Nordin Hassan and Hanipah Farikullah also presided over the appeal.
The prosecution was led by the head of the Trials and Appeal Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers, Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, while the defendant was represented by lawyer S. Vijay Rathnam.
Vijay, in his argument, requested the court’s leniency, stating that his client regretted his actions.The counsel also cited his client’s chronic health conditions, including Hepatitis B and high blood pressure.
Mohd Dusuki argued for the sentence to be upheld based on the autopsy report, which revealed over 72 injuries inflicted on the child’s body.He further detailed that there was bleeding in several parts of the victim’s body, particularly in the muscles, lungs, head and abdomen, caused by strong blows with a blunt object.
The doctors determined that “severe muscle contusion and lung contusion due to blunt trauma” was the cause of death.
According to the charges, Azman was accused of murdering Muhammad Firdaus Mohd Dan in an oil palm plantation in Kampung Solok Pinang, Gadek, Alor Gajah, between 10.30am and 2.15pm on Oct 10, 2011.
He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the death penalty.
Based on the facts of the case, on the day of the incident, Azman allegedly took the victim to the oil palm plantation in Kampung Pinang, Gadek, Alor Gajah, at 10.30am.
Between 10.30am and 2.15pm that same day, the victim defecated in his pants during the journey to the plantation, which angered the accused.
Upon arriving at the location, the accused reportedly beat the victim with a tree branch and kicked him before taking him to Alor Gajah Hospital.
On June 5, 2015, the Ayer Keroh High Court in Melaka sentenced Azman, from Lubok Cina, Linggi, Alor Gajah, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of killing his stepson in 2011.
The sentence was given after the court found beyond a reasonable doubt that he had committed the crime.
On Sept 7, 2016, Azman was reported to have failed his appeal in the Federal Court in Putrajaya and also failed an appeal in the Federal Court on Oct 5, 2017, to overturn his death sentence.
