Sibu High Court sentences businessman to death by hanging for killing his wife and two children
Jacob escorted out of the court room after the sentencing.
SIBU: The High Court here yesterday convicted businessman Jacob Tiang Lee Yee for murdering his wife and two children and sent him to the gallows.
Jacob was also found guilty of an attempted murder of his eldest son Vincent, for which he was sentenced to 15 years’ jail.
The three murder charges were framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence.
Jacob killed his wife Ling Yung Ming, teenage daughter Christine Tiang Soon Ai and toddler son Victor Tiang Soon Seng on July 5 last year at their house in Pulau Li Hua.
The charge for attempted murder was filed under Section 307 of the same code which carries a maximum of 10 years’ jail, or in this case, 20 years’ jail for causing hurt to Vincent while trying to kill him.
High Court Judge Supang Lian said the prosecution had proved its case against Jacob on the four charges beyond reasonable doubt.
In passing the sentence, she said this was a tragedy of unequal proportions.
“It is the story of a man having amassed massive debts, falling into the hands of merciless creditors and in the end driven to make the totally evil decision of killing his whole family,” she said.
She said while Ling, Christine and Victor were not spared, Vincent was able to escape from his father.
“To my mind, nothing can be more tragic and hurtful than for a 17-year-old son to come to realisation that he faces death at the hands of his own father.
“There can be no denying that this incident would have wounded him deeply and the memory of it edged in his mind for life,” she pointed out.
After the sentencing, Jacob requested for permission to visit the tombs of his wife and children.
Supang Lian allowed him the visit under strict supervision and guard and escort of the prison authorities.
When asked by Supang why he wanted to do so, Tiang replied that he just wanted to see their graves.
He said if the court did not allow it, he hoped photographs could be taken for him to view them.
Earlier, before Supang made her judgement, Vincent who was present in the court compound, declined to give an impact statement against his father when approached by DPP Mohd Azrul Faidz.
Jacob, dressed in a light pink short-sleeved shirt and beige jeans, was calm when the sentence was made and explained to him by a court interpreter.
He was represented by assigned counsel, Ben Lau.