Philip (left) being brought to the court for further mention of the murder case.
SIBU: The murder case, in which a lorry driver is accused of killing a woman at a rented house along Tiong Hua Road in August, would be heard in the Sessions Court here on Feb 19 next year.
Judge Caroline Bee Majanil fixed the date after deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Muhammad Tajul Ariffin Musa asked for the case to be adjourned, pending receipt the relevant documents.
No plea was taken from the accused, Philip Uja, 42, who is charged with two felony counts of rape and murder.
Philip is charged with causing the death of a 26-year-old woman at an unnumbered house along Tiong Hua Road here between 8pm on Aug 1 and 2.30pm on Aug 2.
The offence comes under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
For the second charge, the accused is said to have raped the same victim and caused her death at the same time and place.
The offence is framed under Section 376(4) of the Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or a jail term not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years, as well as whipping of not less than 10 strokes.
The victim, who only got married last year, was found dead inside her rented house, with her hands and legs tied behind her back.
The victim worked at a government department in Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Sibu.
The body was discovered by a colleague, who went to check on her after she failed to show up for work.
It is known that the victim, who hailed from Kanowit, lived alone at the rented house, while her husband was working in Tatau.
A week after the incident, Philip was arrested at his longhouse where he is believed to have gone into hiding.