Bandar Utama schoolmate murder trial: Defence psychiatric expert testifies teen had post-Covid mental illness
SHAH ALAM: The High Court was told that symptoms of mental illness began manifesting in a 15-year-old boy accused of murdering his schoolmate after the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
A 15-year-old boy accused of killing his schoolmate at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara has been told by a psychiatric expert that his mental health deteriorated following the COVID-19 pandemic, the High Court heard. The boy, who never removed his face mask in public even after the pandemic restrictions eased, suddenly took it off during the alleged murder, marking a change in his behavior.
The defence, led by Kitson Foong, presented a psychiatric assessment by Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony, who interviewed the boy and his classmates, teachers, and schoolmates over a three-month period. Dr Ian Lloyd concluded that the boy's condition was exacerbated by the unrestricted use of social media and the internet after the pandemic, leading to the development of a mental illness.
The boy's actions leading up to the incident and his emotional state during the trial support this conclusion. The defence argues that the boy needs lifelong medication and psychiatric treatment, but the death penalty cannot be imposed on him due to his age at the time of the alleged offence.
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