LORRY DRIVER ESCAPES DEATH SENTENCE FOR FATHER'S MURDER

SEREMBAN, April 22  (Bernama) --  A lorry driver escaped the death sentence today after pleading guilty in the High Court here to an alternative charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder of his father.

Judge Datin Rohani Ismail sentenced K P Niruben, 28, to three years' imprisonment, to be served from the date of arrest on Aug 5, 2023.

"You should be patient. Do not act in haste. You are lucky because the case was not continued under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides punishment with hanging to death," he said when handing down the sentence.

Niruben was initially charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides the death penalty or imprisonment for between 30 and 40 years, and if not sentenced to death, must be whipped not less than 12 times, upon conviction.

However, he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge, framed under Section 304(b) of the Penal Code, with culpable homicide not amounting to murder of K K Paramasivan, 51.

The offence was committed between 12.20 am and 1.10 am at a house in Kota Lukut, Port Dickson on Aug 5, 2023.

Earlier during mitigation, lawyer S Paul Krishnaraja, representing Niruben, said that his client was a lorry driver and was taking care of his younger sister and mother.

 “On the day of the incident, the victim, who was drunk, had a fight with his wife (accused’s mother)  and hurled abusive words at her. The accused tried to stop the fight,” he said.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Baizura Mohd Saubian.

-- BERNAMA