Welder claims trial to causing death of woman

0

KOTA KINABALU: A local welder who is charged with the murder of a woman last month, yesterday claimed trial at the High Court here to another charge of causing the death of the same woman while raping or attempting to rape her.

DOUBLE CHARGES: Tawakkal at the court.

DOUBLE CHARGES: Tawakkal at the court.

Mohammad Tawakkal, 30, is accused of causing the death while committing or attempting to rape

45-year-old local cleaner Victoria Paulus at an unnumbered house at the back of a wood factory MQ Wood Product Sdn Bhd in Penampang between 9pm and 11pm on Oct 16, 2009.

He is charged under Section 376(4) of the Penal Code which provides for the death sentence or a jail term of between 15 and 30 years and 10 strokes of the cane.

High Court Judicial Commissioner Stephen Chung Hian Guan ordered Mohammad’s rape charge to be tried jointly with the latter’s murder charge which was already fixed on Nov 8 to 11, this year.

He made the decision at the request of deputy public prosecutor Mohamed Zairi Zainal Abidin.

On  July 15, this year, Mohammad pleaded not guilty to murdering the woman at the same time and place.

He is liable to the mandatory death sentence if found guilty of the offence under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Mohammad, who was ordered to be detained in custody pending the disposal of his cases, is represented by assigned counsel Saban Sawayan.