Court of Appeal upholds 30‑year jail, 12 strokes for trader who hid step‑brother’s body in cement drum

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — The Court of Appeal has maintained a 30-year jail sentence and 12 strokes of the cane for a former trader convicted of murdering his step-brother and hiding his body in a cement-filled drum. A panel of three judges unanimously rejected the appellant's appeal against his conviction and sentence, as well as the prosecution's request for the death penalty.

The head judge, Justice Noorin Badaruddin, confirmed that the high court's ruling was appropriate, and there was insufficient evidence to replace the sentence with the death penalty or a 40-year prison term. The court also ruled that the possibility of an argument or altercation between the two did not justify the fatal act under private defence.

On May 13, the Alor Setar High Court convicted Mohamad Zamhuri Azami of murdering Mohd Hasnul Nizar Khairul Anuar and sentenced him to 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane. The crime took place at their home in Kampung Padang Hassan, Alor Setar, Kedah, on March 6, 2020. The appellant led police to the location where the victim's body was found in a blue plastic drum filled with cement.

During the proceedings, the defence argued that there had been an altercation leading to self-defence, while the prosecution claimed the evidence disproved this account, pointing to the severity of the victim's injuries.