MIRI: A trader was sentenced to nine years’ jail by the High Court yesterday for causing the death of an Indonesian woman, Ketti Liana Wati, who allegedly had an affair with his girlfriend.The court ordered the jail term to run from the date of his arrest on Sept 4, 2008.
The sentence was ordered by Judge Datuk Zulkifli Bakar after considering the accused’s guilty plea and appeal, facts of the case, seriousness of the offence and public interest.
In passing sentence, Zulkifli said the offence was serious as a life had been taken away.
He said the court took into consideration that there was “grave and sudden provocation”, causing him to “lose his balance” and react by beating and kicking the deceased. Another factor considered was public interest.
Wong Sie Chuan, 28, from Pujut Sesco, a fruit and vegetable trader at Tamu Muhibbah, was charged under Section 304 (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code which carries a 30-year jail term if found guilty.
Based on the facts of the case, on the afternoon of Sept 4, 2008, Wong and his girlfriend Nurasmiza Shari had gone shopping in Miri city, after which they returned to their rented room on the second floor of Lot 963, Wisma Tho Ewe Boon.
Nurasmiza went into the kitchen to cook and after their meal, the accused who was still in the kitchen heard Nurasmiza in the living area talking intimately with someone on her handphone.
The accused seized Nurasmiza’s handphone and read the SMS message with sexual intonation meant for Wati, whom the accused recognised from her handphone number.
Flying into a fury, the accused slapped Nurasmiza, causing the other tenants in the living area to leave the premises as they did not want to be involved.
Wati suddenly turned up at the premises and, on witnessing the heated argument, screamed at Wong to leave the premises but he refused.
Wong then accused Wati of having an affair with Nurasmiza.
Wati admitted the affair and pulled Nurasmiza’s hand while using foul words on Wong who used his bare hands to hit her (Wati) on the head and kick her on the right abdomen, causing her to faint.
Wati was rushed to Miri Hospital by the accused and one of the tenants at the rented premises.
Doctors failed to resuscitate Wati.
A postmortem revealed that the cause of death was hypovolaemic shock caused by a ruptured liver.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Robert Pasang Alam prosecuted.