KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here today ordered a former contractor to enter his defence on the charge of killing his wife by suffocating her with a blanket in their home, three years ago.
Following the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, Judge K. Muniandy determined that there was a prima facie case against the 50-year-old Chuah Chin Hoe.
“At the end of the prosecution’s case, with the evidence tendered, which this court had viewed in totality and gave a maximum evaluation, (the court) concludes that the accused was the last person with his deceased wife in their room the night before and on the morning after she was found dead.
“In the chain of circumstances relied on by the prosecution to prove the charge against the accused, this chain of circumstance is most compelling. It is a material consideration as a circumstance against the accused,“ said the judge, adding that this calls for an explanation by the accused.
“Therefore, this court decides to order the accused to enter his defence to the charge preferred against him pursuant to Section 180(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code,“ he said.
Following the announcement of the order, the accused’s lawyer, Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, conveyed that his client opted to testify from the witness stand.
Judge Muniandy then set a two-day defence proceeding on April 24 and 25.
Chuah is charged with killing Lau Bee Hong, 46 years old at the time, in a condominium unit at Jalan Genting Klang, Setapak, here between 2.30 am and 9.30 am, May 9, 2021.
The charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the death penalty, or imprisonment of between 30 to 40 years, and not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.
A total of 17 prosecution witnesses, including the couple’s two children, testified during the trial which began on Oct 11, 2022.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir, while the rest of the accused’s legal team comprised lawyers Lavinia Raja and Revin Kumar. -Bernama
