Man who mowed down villager loses appeal

PUTRAJAYA: A lorry driver lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal yesterday to set aside his death sentence for killing a villager by using a car to mow the latter down eight years ago.

A three-member panel comprising Justices Datuk Hanipah Farikullah, Datuk Wira Ahmad Nasfy Yasin and Datuk Nordin Hassan dismissed Azami Mohamad’s appeal against his conviction and death sentence for killing Rohadi Yaacob.

The court also dismissed Azami’s appeal against his conviction and 10-year jail sentence for attempting to murder another person, Zakaria Taib, by using a Proton Gen 2 car to mow him down, causing the victim to sustain injuries.

In the court’s decision, Justice Hanipah said that based on the totality of the evidence, the court was satisfied that Azami’s conviction for murder and attempted murder is safe.

She said the trial judge did not err in law and facts to warrant appellate court intervention.

Justice Hanipah, however, allowed Azami’s appeal to set aside his conviction and six months’ jail sentence for making a false police report at the Permaisuri police station in Setiu, Terengganu at 6.29pm on Oct 2, 2014.

In his report, Azami, 48, claimed that he bumped into two men while driving and that they had stalled his way using a long parang. He alleged that he accidentally hit both of them while trying to avoid them.

According to the charge, Azami was accused of killing Rohadi, 49 on the Kampung Jelapang highway in Sungai Tong, Setiu, Terengganu at 6pm on Oct 2, 2014.

Azami, a widower with three children, was also charged with attempting to kill Zakaria, 51, by mowing him down using the car, at the same place, time and day.

On July 14, 2019, the Kuala Terengganu High Court sentenced him to death for the murder offence.

He was also sentenced to 10 years in jail for attempted murder and six months’ jail for making a false report.

He was ordered to serve the jail sentences concurrently from Oct 2, 2014 – the date of his arrest.

According to the facts of the case, both victims were said to have quarrelled with Azami at a coffee shop.

On their way home, riding on their respective motorcycles, they were chased and mowed down by Azami.

The impact caused the two to be thrown onto the middle of the road.

Azami then made a U-turn towards the duo, hit the deceased and drove over him.

Azami was represented by lawyer Kamaruzaman A. Wahab while deputy public prosecutors Parvin Hameedah and Nurul Farhana Khalid appeared for the prosecution. — Bernama