Appeals Court upholds engineer’s death sentence

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday upheld the death sentence on an engineer who was convicted for murdering his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

The Court of Appeal comprising Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh, Datuk Abdul Karim Jalil dan Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang unanimously dismissed Cheong Teik Keon’s appeal.

“We are of the opinion that there is no reason for us to disturb the findings of the learned judge,” said Mohd Zawawi who chaired the bench.

He said the court was satisfied with the High Court findings which found that Cheong had failed to discharge the burden of insanity.

Cheong, 35, was appealing against the George Town High Court decision to find him guilty and sentenced him to death for murdering Tan Ching Chin in Taman Hwa Seng, Jalan Rozhan, Alma, Seberang Prai, Penang at 8.40 am on Feb 14, 2013.

The High Court has previously heard evidence from a psychiatrist who testified that Cheong allegedly stabbed his girlfriend three times and tried to commit suicide by stabbing himself four times so that he could be reunited with her in heaven.

The psychiatrist had testified that Cheong, who was referred to him for assessment, had a romantic and idealistic idea that he and the deceased would be reborn in heaven as lovers.

During the proceedings, Cheong’s counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik argued that judicial commissioner Colin Lawrence Sequerah had misdirected himself in ruling that legal insanity had not been established by defence on a balance of probabilities.