Second mental evaluation for Filipino in murder case

KOTA KINABALU: A Filipino labourer charged with murdering a youth was ordered by the High Court here to be referred to a mental hospital for second evaluation of his state of mind during the alleged murder.

Justice Nurchaya Hj Arshad allowed the request by counsel Ram Singh, for the accused, Ismail Rasad, 42, to be referred to the mental hospital for full observation.

In her order, the trial judge said she acceded to the second evaluation request for further appraisal of the state of mind of the accused at the time of the incident by a psychiatrist based on further information obtained from family members.

The court also ordered for another psychiatrist appraisal as a second opinion and further ordered for the accused to be detained at the Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang for a one month observation.

She then fixed September 5 this year for re-mention of the case.

Earlier, counsel Ram made an application to refer his client to the hospital after his client’s cousin, who is also the third prosecution witness, testified in the trial and claimed to have witnessed the accused’s condition prior to the incident.

The prosecution raised no objection to the application and requested for the information from the accused’s family members to be included in the report.

The accused was alleged to have killed one Mohammad Adzmar Alex, 19, at an unnumbered house at Kampung Rampayan Menggatal at 11.30 pm on May 1, 2016.

The accused, who is an IMM13 holder, was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.