Bandar Utama school murder trial: Defence closes case after boy testifies

The defence in the murder trial of a 15-year-old boy accused of killing a female student at a secondary school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, concluded its case today after all the defense witnesses had finished their testimony. Judge Adlin Abdul Majid instructed the prosecution and defense to submit their replies by September 3, with oral arguments set for September 8.

Defense attorney Kitson Foong disclosed that the defense had completed its case following the testimony of two witnesses, one of whom was the accused himself, alongside Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta. The teenager faces charges under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which can result in the death penalty, although as a juvenile, he falls under the provisions of the Child Act 2001.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin, Aqharie Durranie Aziz, and Ahmad Iqbal Azman, is defending the case in the Shah Alam High Court following a transfer from the Petaling Jaya Magistrate's Court. The trial's confidentiality required the accused's identity and photograph to remain undisclosed.

The proceedings were held in camera. The teenager initially pleaded not guilty in Mandarin before Judge Adlin on February 12. The prosecution received the Attorney General's consent to transfer the case to the High Court on January 30, as a psychiatric evaluation confirmed the teenager was capable of standing trial. The charge was filed on October 22, 2025, at the Petaling Jaya Magistrate's Court, but no plea was entered due to the nature of the crime.

Under Section 97(1) of the Child Act 2001, the death penalty cannot be applied to offenders under 18 years old, and the court may instead order detention for a term determined by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.