Psychosis impaired teen’s understanding he was taking a life in Bandar Utama school murder, court says, rejecting months‑long planning claim

The Shah Alam High Court has rejected claims that the 16-year-old accused's murder of a schoolgirl in Bandar Utama last year was planned for months. Judge Adlin Abdul Majid found that the accused's psychotic illness impaired his understanding of the act and that the alleged "plan" stemmed from his delusions. The judge noted the psychiatric report prepared by Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony, which recorded the accused's delusional view of others as "NPCs" and his detachment from reality.

The judge stated that the accused did not comprehend the finality of death and believed the deceased would be reincarnated. The prosecution argued that the accused's delusions were simply a reason or motive for the killing, but the judge disagreed, finding that the delusions themselves deprived the accused of the ability to understand that what he was doing was wrong.

The court also rejected the prosecution's contention that the accused's months-long planning showed he had the ability to organize his actions, noting that the plan relied on the delusional system rather than rational, self-interested deliberation.