Sydney man who murdered M’sian ‘operated by satan’

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MELBOURNE: An Indonesian-born Sydney man who murdered his wife’s Malaysian lover was ‘operated by Satan’ at the time, a court has heard.

Hazairin Iskandar, who was found guilty of killing Melaka-born Mohd Shah Saemin by a jury earlier this year,
told the New South Wales Supreme Court yesterday, he knew he committed a “sin that is unforgivable in Islam”, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reports.

He urged the victim’s family for forgiveness at the sentencing hearing.

“I’m very sorry and I ask for forgiveness from his family,” he said, adding that at that time, Satan had orchestrated his actions.

Mohd Shah, driver at the Malaysian Consulate, died after he was attacked by Hazairin and his son, Andrew, outside Saha’s Leichhardt flat in Sydney’s inner-west on the night of Feb 21, 2010.

Andrew was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years’ jail for his part in the murder.

Hazairin told the court that he had pushed his son into killing Mohd Shah.

Defence lawyer James Trevallion asked if Hazairin was lying to protect his son, who is appealing his sentence.

“Are you making up evidence to the court because you feel guilty?,” he asked.

“No, I can’t make it anyone’s problem,” he replied.

Both father and son had been sharing a cell in jail but have since been separated, said AAP.

Hazairin said his son, who was a loner and had no friends, had been angry with him for involving him in the crime.

“I kissed his feet and said sorry to him,” he said.

During the trial, the court heard that Hazairin stabbed Mohd Shah at least four times in the upper body with a knife, while his son struck him repeatedly with a hammer.

The pair attacked the taxi driver after they discovered Nita Iskander was having an affair with the Malaysian.

Mohd Shah sustained several blunt-force blows to the head but ultimately bled to death at the scene from the stab wounds.

The sentencing hearing continues before Justice David Davies. — Bernama