Ex-supermarket worker’s sentence for toddler’s killing raised by 12 years

The Court of Appeal has increased former supermarket employee Noor Ab Manap's eight-year jail sentence for killing a two-year-old child in his care to 20 years. A three-judge bench of Noorin Badaruddin, Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz, and Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid allowed the prosecution's appeal against the original High Court sentence in Kuantan last August. Noor initially faced a murder charge but pleaded guilty to culpable homicide not amounting to murder after the prosecution agreed to the reduction.

The child, named Adam, had been entrusted to Noor and his wife by the child's father for RM250 per month. The Court of Appeal emphasized that placing a child in an adult's care implies an expectation of protection, making this a significant aggravating factor. Forensic evidence revealed that blunt-force trauma caused severe internal injuries, including mesenteric tears and internal bleeding, with 300ml of blood and clots found in Adam's abdominal cavity.

The court considered Adam's physical vulnerability, as force that might be moderate against an adult could have far more serious consequences for a young child. While acknowledging Noor as a first-time offender who expressed remorse and had a family, the judges ruled that a guilty plea does not automatically grant a reduced sentence.

Noor's financial difficulties and stress were deemed insufficient reasons for an excessive sentence discount, as he had alternatives like seeking help or returning the child to his original guardian.