A 15-YEAR-old boy accused of killing his schoolmate at a Bandar Utama secondary school had been suffering from an untreated mental illness for about five years, the High Court heard today.
Psychiatric expert and Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta director Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony told the court that the boy had received no treatment for about 60 months, during which his condition progressively worsened.
His lawyer, Kitson Foong, said the psychiatrist testified that early treatment and medication could help manage mental illness, particularly within the first 28 months.
But in the boy’s case, the condition went untreated, making the symptoms more severe and increasingly difficult to manage.
Ian Lloyd also told the court that the boy had experienced multiple illusions.
Foong said the psychiatrist explained conditions including psychosis and schizophrenia, as well as how they could affect a person’s thoughts and perception.
He said Ian Lloyd testified that the boy was experiencing such symptoms at the time of the alleged offence.
The court also heard an apology from the boy, who took the stand as the first defence witness.
Foong said the teenager chose to give an unsworn statement in Mandarin and apologised for what had happened and for the girl’s death.
“He read a brief statement in Mandarin and apologised for what had happened and for causing the death of the girl,” Foong said.
Earlier, judge Adlin Abdul Majid ordered the boy to enter his defence after finding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case.
The boy had been referred to Hospital Bahagia during proceedings at the Petaling Jaya Magistrates’ Court, where Ian Lloyd later conducted a three-month psychiatric assessment.
The assessment found him fit to stand trial.
Foong said it was too early to determine the exact psychiatric condition affecting the boy as he remained under treatment and the trial was still ongoing.
The defence is relying on the insanity defence under Section 84 of the Penal Code, with Ian Lloyd appearing as an expert witness.
The trial continues this afternoon.
Proceedings are being held in camera under the Child Act 2001.
The prosecution called 11 witnesses over six days from Aug 3 before closing its case on Tuesday.
The boy pleaded not guilty in February to murdering his 16-year-old Form Four schoolmate in the girls’ toilet of SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4), Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, between 9.20am and 9.35am on Oct 14 last year.
The charge carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, as well as whipping, upon conviction.
However, a child cannot be sentenced to death under Section 97(1) of the Child Act 2001.
Under Section 97(2), a child convicted of an offence punishable by death may instead be detained at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong if the offence was committed in the Federal Territories, or the relevant Ruler or Yang di-Pertua Negeri if it occurred in a state.
Foong is representing the boy with Chew Jee San, Angel Choo and Yan Zhi Wei.
Deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin is leading the prosecution.
Datuk Yasmeen Shariff and Jason Lim Jie Sheng are holding briefs for the Bar Council and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia respectively. – August 13, 2026
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