SIBU: A woman charged with murdering her boyfriend’s elderly mother three years ago gave evidence from the witness box yesterday.Winnie Yek, 25, had been ordered to enter her defence on April 20 but opted to remain silent. The High Court gave her a few days to reconsider that decision.
According to the law, she has the choice to remain silent or give evidence from the witness box or accused’s box.
Justice Yew Jen Kie gave the accused the chance to consider but if she chose to remain silent, she would be convicted.
Yew earlier ruled that the prosecution had proved a prima facie case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused.
Yek was charged with murdering Kuan Sin Moi, 82, who is her boyfriend’s mother.
It was said she committed the offence at the victim’s house in Rejang Park about 1.30 am on Jan 30, 2007.
In the incident, the victim suffered severe head injury after Winnie allegedly bashed her with a crash helmet.
The victim died at the Sibu Hospital on Feb 4, 2007 at 11.17 am.
Winnie was indicted under Section 302 of Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
Giving evidence from the witness box, Winnie said about 10.30 pm on Jan 29, 2007, she was working in a cafe at Kampung Datu Road when her ex-boyfriend turned up for a drink.
She told the court, upon examination-in-chief by her defence counsel, Rosli Gapor, that later about 1.30am the next day (Jan 30, 2007), her boyfriend approached and punched her on the face without uttering any word.
After that, her boyfriend rushed out of the cafe, and she followed. When she lost sight of him, Winnie went to his house in Rejang Park to look for him.
Upon arriving at the house, she noticed that the gate was open and she went into the house compound.
She said her boyfriend’s mother opened the main door of the house after she knocked on it.
“She let me in and we communicated in the sitting room. Then she went upstairs and I followed her. She got a fall but got up by herself. She then opened my boyfriend’s room and let me check that he was not in the room.
“I then requested her to call him to come back. But she did not make the call. She kept saying that I punched her and told her neighbour that she was unwell,” she stated.
To a question, Winnie said she did not do anything to her boyfriend’s mother except talk to her.
Suddenly, her boyfriend came back with two or three friends. She asked him why he hit her in the cafe earlier, but got no reply.
His brother also turned up and slapped her on her face, Winnie said, adding that when she asked for the reason, he said she had hit his mother.
She said the punching was subsequently joined by her boyfriend’s sister, who all beat her up till she was floored.
To another question, she said they called the police who arrived and brought her to the police station before she was referred to the hospital for x-ray following the beatings.
On cross-examination by the DPP, Fazillah Begum, Winnie disagreed that her boyfriend’s brother and sister did not beat her up at the house.
She also disagreed she was not beaten up till she could not get up.
DPP: I put it to you that the evidence you give is a bare denial.
Winnie: I disagree.
DPP: I put it to you that the fact of denial that you make is to save your neck from the charge you are facing.
Winnie: I disagree.
When there was no re-examination by the defence counsel, Yew adjourned the hearing for final submissions on May 24, and the reply to submissions from both defence counsel and DPP on June 3.
She scheduled the date for judgment for June 14 at 2.30 pm.