VOCATIONAL COLLEGE MURDER: 107 INJURIES FOUND ON VICTIM'S BODY, FROM HEAD TO TOE, COURT TOLD

TAWAU, 27 Nov (Bernama) -- A forensic pathologist specialist told the High Court here that there were 107 injuries on the body of the deceased, Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul, from the Lahad Datu Vocational College.

The fifth prosecution witness Dr Dzureena Abdul Multalib, 39, said based on her examination of the victim’s body, the injuries comprised 102 bruises and five abrasion wounds.

"There was a total of 107 injuries, while the abrasion wounds refer to injuries that occur due to destruction of the superficial layer of the skin (epidermis) caused by friction against a hard surface," she said during the trial before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol.

Thirteen students, aged between 16 and 19, are charged with jointly murdering Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat, 17, in rooms 7 Resak and 5 Belian at the Lahad Datu Vocational College between 9pm on March 21 and 7.38am on March 22.

The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code, carries the death penalty or imprisonment for 30 to 40 years and not more than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.

In her witness statement, Dr Dzureena also stated that based on the post-mortem examination findings, the cause of death of Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat was concluded as chest and soft tissue injuries due to blunt force trauma.

In response to Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nur Nisla Abd Latif’s question whether the 107 injuries were sufficient to cause death to the victim, Dr Dzureena acknowledged that it was and informed the court that the victim’s injuries were from head to toe, with injuries around the left and right arm, possibly indicating defensive wounds.

When asked by Nur Nisla to further elaborate on what could possibly be considered blunt force trauma, Dr Dzureena said that it refers to injuries caused by fall onto a hard surface, kicking, punching, impact with a blunt object or a combination of the above, which can cause damage to the underlying structures.

Nur Nisla: How about striking or swinging a cable cord towards the deceased, does it fall under blunt force trauma?

Dr Dzureena :  Yes.

Nur Nisla: Considering the injuries you have observed, in your opinion, if the deceased in this case was struck with cable cords, punched repeatedly all over his body, kicked at his waist and stomach area, kicked at his behind, his head was stomped on the floor and he was pushed to metal lockers. What is the action that could possibly cause the death of the deceased?

Dr Dzureena: All of the above, specifically the chest and soft tissue injuries in combination, caused the death of the deceased.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the Tawau High Court turned emotional when the fourth prosecution witness, Siti Hamidah Jumari, 45, also the victim’s mother could not hold back her tears and cried while being asked to identify a photograph of her late son.

She was only able to identify her late son in one photograph as she could not contain her grief when asked to do so by Nur Nisla.

The prosecution is led by DPPs Nur Nisla, Ng Juhn Tao, and Nur Batrisyia Mohd Khusri.

Eight of the 13 accused are represented by lawyers Datuk Ram Singh, Kamaruddin Mohmad Chinki, and Chen Wen Jye, while the remaining five are defended by Mohamad Zairi Zainal Abidin, Abdul Ghani Zelika, Vivian Thien, Jhassany P Kang, and Kusni Ambotuwo.

The trial continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA