Filipino labourer charged with killing workmate

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KOTA KINABALU: The trial of a Filipino labourer, who was charged with killing his workmate started at the High Court here yesterday.

Arjie Serenio, 27, who was brought before Judicial Commissioner Gabriel Gumis, was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code which provides for the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.

The accused who was defended by counsel Datu Baginda Datu Laja was alleged to have murdered his fellow countryman at an area of a house construction site at Kampung Sunsuron in Tambunan at about 4pm on January 24, 2014.

In his opening remarks, deputy public prosecutor Luke Ressa Balang told the court that the prosecution will adduce evidence through two eye witnesses who were together with the deceased during the incident.

The prosecution said that both witnesses saw the accused injuring the deceased using a hammer to smash his head and body several times which led to his death.

Luke also said that before the incident, the deceased had commented on the accused’s work where the accused had not followed the exact instructions in doing his work, after which the accused was believed to be dissatisfied with the comments.

He further explained that on January 24, 2014, the complainant who was on duty at the Tambunan police station had received a phone call informing him that there was a fight involving workers at a construction site in Kampung Sunsuron, Tambunan and one of the workers had died in the incident.

Luke said that based on the information, the police from the Crime Investigation Department in Keningau went to the place and found a man known as Roldan, 30, with no documentation lying dead at the back of the workers quarters.

He also said that upon investigation by the police, they found that the deceased was injured on the head and both knees believed caused by a long iron hammer which was found near the body.

Luke added that both eye witnesses who were present during the incident had run away as they were chased by the accused.

The prosecution explained that the accused was arrested by police on January 31, 2014 in the forest at Kampung Sunsuron, Tambunan where he had been hiding since the incident happened.

Luke said that the prosecution will adduce direct and circumstantial evidence to prove that the death of the deceased had been caused by the injuries inflicted by the accused.

He also added that the injuries caused were sufficient in the ordinary cause of nature to cause death.