Personal bodyguard sentenced to death for shooting employer, two others

GEORGE TOWN: The High Court here today ordered a personal bodyguard to be sent to the gallows after finding him guilty of murdering his employer and two others in a shooting incident along the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway four years ago.

Judge Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed handed down the death sentence on Ja'afar Halid, 41, after finding the defence having failed to establish reasonable doubts against the prosecution’s case at the end of the defence case.

The court also sentenced him to 15 years’ jail on each of the five counts for attempted murder where he was charged with shooting at Lee Hong Boon, 59, on the left chest; Nurul Huda Ab Aziz, 42, (shoulder); Puah Bee Joo, 36, (shoulder); Mohamad Amirul Amin Mohamed Amer, 32, (left chest) and K. Arivarni, 37, (head).

However, the court ordered him to serve the jail sentences concurrently from the date of his arrest, which was Dec 1, 2016.

When handing down the decision, Abdul Wahab said the testimony by the accused that he could not remember what happened during the incident was not acceptable because based on the testimony during the prosecution stage, it showed he had the intention to shoot.

He said the claim of unstable mind was also not accepted as based on the evidence, the shots fired were focus attack.

Abdul Wahab said based on the testimony by a witness, who is a doctor, the accused had taken medicine due to his dependence and addiction to drugs, which he had been taking since the age of 12.

Ja'afar was charged on Sept 12, 2017 in the High Court here with killing his employer, businessman Datuk Ong Teik Kwong, 32, and two other individuals, Choi Hoi Ming, 32, and Senthil Murugiah, 38, by firing at them with a shotgun at the exit to the Penang Bridge at the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.

He was charged with committing the offence between 7.15 pm and 7.30 pm on Dec 1, 2016.

Ja’afar was also charged with five counts of attempted murder by shooting five more individuals at the same place, time and date.

A total of 37 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, including the accused, testified during proceedings of the case.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Azura Zulkiflee, while Ja’afar was represented by lawyer Y. Anbanathan.

-- BERNAMA