Pathologist says can’t determine exact location of shooter
MIRI: Pathologist Dr Norliza Ibrahim from Sarawak General Hospital could not ascertain the exact location of the shooter who allegedly killed social activist Bill Kayong at the traffic light intersection near E-Mart Supermarket in Kuala Baram Bypass around 8.20am on June 21, 2016.
Dr Norliza told the court that based on the gunshot wound and the bullet that entered the neck of the deceased, she could not determine the exact position of the shooter.
“I am not an expert in ballistic but according to basic knowledge in forensic medicine a bullet can change its movement if it hits something solid. Thus, what usually happens when a bullet strikes bone is that the angle changes,” she said when testifying at the High Court here yesterday.
Cross-examined by counsel Orlando Chua on whether it was a close-range shooting, Dr Norliza said it was between close and intermediate-ranged shooting of one metre or more.
Dr Norliza, said a post-mortem was conducted on June 22, 2016 upon application made by investigating officer ASP Lee Chee Keat, adding that while doing the autopsy 12 specimens were taken from the deceased body.
Among them were blood samples for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing, alcohol and drug, scalp hair, pellet inside the wound and clothing. All these were sealed and properly labelled before they were handed over to the investigating officer.
Dr Norliza, the eleventh witness, was the only one testifying yesterday, the third day of the hearing of Bill Kayong’s murder case.
Hearing continues at 9.30am today when two witnesses are scheduled to testify against Mohamad Fitri Pauzi, who is charged together with four others (one still at large) with the murder of Bill on June 21, 2016.
Three others – Lie Chang Loon, 38, Datuk Stephen Lee Chee Kiang, 46, and Chin Wui Ching, 51 - are charged with abetment (abetting Mohd Fitri), an offence punishable under Section 109 read together with Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
Presiding is Judge Ravintharan Paramaguru while the three public prosecutors are Mohd Fuad Abdul Aziz, Hadya Farizal and Wan Mohammad I’zzat Wan Abdullah.
Counsels for the four accused are Ranbir Singh, Orlando Chua, Arthur Lee and David Kuok. Simon Siah and Majen Panyog are the watching brief counsels for the victim’s family.