Apex court upholds death sentence for ex-chef who murdered stepson

In a recent ruling, the Federal Court of Malaysia upheld the conviction and death sentence of Sazly Zambry, a former chef, for the murder of his four-year-old stepson, Aidil Adha Affendi, which occurred 11 years ago. The three-member bench, led by Justice Rhodzariah Bujang, unanimously dismissed Sazly's appeal and agreed that the evidence against him was compelling. The court found the death sentence as the only fitting punishment for the heinous and diabolical crime committed by Sazly.

Sazly, 50, was found guilty of inflicting 29 external injuries on the child's body and head. The prosecution's case was bolstered by Sazly's suspicious behavior, including seeking a neighbor's aid to dispose of the body while claiming that an unidentified friend was responsible for the child's death. He also prevented his wife from opening the door upon the arrival of police and resisted arrest.

The prosecution established that Aidil Adha was brought to Sazly's house two weeks prior to the incident, with Sazly being the sole caregiver for the child while his mother was at work. On the fateful day of the murder, December 20, 2015, Sazly called a neighbor, falsely claiming that a friend had caused the child's death in an accident. He requested assistance to dispose of the body and claimed to wrap it in a chilli sack before the neighbor became suspicious and reported the incident to the police.

Upon police arrival at 6.16pm, Sazly's wife claimed that he had forbidden her from opening the door and demanded a search warrant. The police eventually broke down the door and found Sazly in an aggressive state, attempting to flee before being apprehended. The child's body was discovered in the unused toilet at the back of the house.

Forensic investigators recovered various items, including a mop handle, rotan, and a length of PVC pipe, which contained mixed DNA belonging to Sazly and the deceased. Post-mortem findings concluded that the child's cause of death was a severe head injury due to blunt trauma. Sazly denied causing the fatal injuries and suggested that someone else had assaulted the child, although he claimed to have no knowledge of who it may have been.