‘Monster dad’ appeals against 48-year jail sentence

KUALA LUMPUR: The “monster dad” jailed a total of 48 years for over 600 counts of sodomising and sexually abusing his 15-year-old daughter is appealing against his sentence.

The 37-year-old divorcee, who is undergoing the jail sentence, has engaged Legal Aid Bureau lawyer Cyrus Tiu Foo Woei.

During yesterday’s proceedings before High Court judge Justice Azman Abdullah, Tiu said he had been engaged to represent the man in the appeal.

“I was appointed on March 7 to act for the accused,” Tiu said.

He told the court that he had yet to receive the court documents, adding that he was informed that they were kept by the prison’s officials.

Tiu then asked for the next date to allow him to study the record.

Justice Azman later fixed April 25 for the hearing of the appeal.

On Feb 27, the High Court had advised the father of three daughters to engage a lawyer to represent him in the hearing.

On Sept 8 last year, Sessions Court judge Yong Zarida Sazali had sentenced the man to a total of 48 years’ jail and 24 lashes of the rotan after he pleaded guilty to 623 charges of sexually abusing and sodomising his eldest daughter.

He was jailed 20 years each for 30 counts of physical sexual assault without intercourse, 15 years for one count of neglecting, abusing and sexually abusing the child and 28 years for committing incest.

The man was also ordered to be bound over on a good behaviour bond of RM10,000 in one surety and to perform community service for 240 hours within six months.

The sentences were to run concurrently from his arrest on July 26, which meant that he had to serve 28 years.

Other sentences against the man were 20 years’ jail each for 591 counts of sodomising his eldest daughter. These were to run concurrently.

Yong Zarida ordered that the 28 years’ and 20 years’ jail sentences run consecutively.