US citizen to hang for murdering ex-wife

KUALA LUMPUR: A former engineering consultant at a telecommunications company was sentenced to death by the High Court here yesterday after being found guilty of killing his ex-wife two years ago.

Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah passed the sentence on Mickleson Gerald Wayne, 63, an American citizen after finding the prosecution had succeeded in proving its case beyond any reasonable doubt at the end of the defence case.

The accused, represented by counsel K. A. Ramu, was charged with killing Guilda Mickelson, 62, also an American citizen in a hotel room at Lingkaran Syed Putra, Brickfields, here between 5am and 11.45am, Nov 26, 2016 under Section 302 of the Penal Code which provides for death by hanging, upon conviction.

Judge Azman in his judgment, said the accused during his defence said he was trying to defend himself from an attack by the deceased but his testimony failed to cause reasonable doubt.

“The pathologist has testified that the deceased was injured in

The pathologist has testified that the deceased was injured in the neck and also had some head injuries. Based on the statement of the pathologist, the victim was choked to death which also caused injury to the structure of the neck. Datuk Azman Abdullah, High Court judge

the neck and also had some head injuries. Based on the statement of the pathologist, the victim was choked to death which also caused injury to the structure of the neck.

“After taking into consideration all the evidence that has been submitted, I hereby find you guilty of the charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code, and I, sentence you to death by hanging,” he said.

Mickleson, wearing a purple T- shirt, appeared calm after the court sentenced him and he was also seen embracing and kissing a woman.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Azeezi Nordin, when met by reporters outside the court, said during the trial a witness in his statement said that on Nov 26, the hotel received a telephone call from the accused asking them to contact the police as ‘a problem’ had occurred in his room.

The hotel manager then went to the room of the accused and found a woman, who was believed to have died, was on the bed in the room and the accused told him “my wife is dead, I killed her.”

He said the accused was married to the deceased for 30 years, they had subsequently divorced but were still living together, and the quarrel took place after the accused told the deceased that he wanted to move to the Philippines to work but the deceased was against it.

A total of nine prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses were called for the trial beginning February this year. — Bernama