THE Federal Court in Putrajaya today upheld the death sentence imposed on a businessman for the brutal murder of a marketing executive near a club in Sg Petani, Kedah, in 2006.
Justice Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal, who led a three-judge panel, dismissed the application of Shahril Jaafar, 43, who is the son of a businessman holding the title of “Datuk”, for a commutation of his sentence.
The judge said the victim, Chee Gaik Yap, then 25, had been “abducted, sodomised, raped and killed” by Shahril and had suffered “exceptional violence” leading to her death.
“We reiterate that although the court has compassion for the applicant, this panel views the facts of the case as extraordinary due to the violence that caused public outrage.
“The court is not bound by public opinion, but we cannot ignore it. Therefore, this application is denied, and the death sentence is upheld,” said Harmindar.
In 2015, the Alor Star High Court found Shahril guilty of murdering Chee near Kelab Cinta Sayang in Taman Ria Jaya, Sg Petani, and sentenced him to death.
He was found guilty of committing the offence between 5.30pm on January 14, 2006 and 3.05am the next day.
Chee, a Universiti Utara Malaysia graduate, was believed to have been followed by her assailant while jogging in the neighbourhood.
She was then raped, and murdered and her body was dumped in a housing estate.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said the murder was carried out brutally, with forensic reports showing 50 injuries on the victim, including on her genitals and anus.
“The victim was treated as if she had no dignity or self-worth. This case fits the principle of ‘rarest of the rare’ and justifies the death sentence being maintained,” he said.
Shahril was picked up soon after Chee’s body was found but released on police bail pending the results of a DNA test.
He skipped bail and left for Perth, Australia, but was rearrested six years later upon his arrival at KLIA from Perth in January 2012.
Shahril’s lawyer Rosli Kamaruddin, meanwhile, said that at the time of the incident, his client was 25 years old and had no previous convictions.
He said Shahril was undergoing psychiatric treatment, and the doctor treating him in prison has confirmed his health status.
“Shahril is remorseful and wants to start his life anew,” he said. – May 29, 2024
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