Son escapes death for mother's murder, sent to mental hospital

IPOH: A former lorry driver escaped the mandatory death sentence for his mother's murder when the High Court here today ordered his release on grounds of insanity.
However, Judicial Commissioner Anselm Charles Fernandis ordered Chan Chee Keong, 56, to be detained at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Tanjung Rambutan here at the pleasure of the Sultan of Perak as provided under Section 348 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
In the judgment, Fernandis said he was satisfied with the testimony given by Hospital Bahagia psychiatric specialist Dr Ian Liyod.
Apart from that, he said, the court took note that the prosecution did not challenge the defence of insanity by the defence.
"The accused committed the offence in a state of insanity and did not know that his act was an offence or against the law.
"Therefore, the court releases the accused under Section 347 of the Criminal Procedure Code," he said.
Chan was charged with murdering Low Kew@ Low Lin Kiew, then 74, at their home at Kampung Baru Cina, Air Kuning, near Tapah, at about 6.45 pm on Sept 27 last year.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors How May Ling and Fatin Farahiah Nadzri, while Chan was represented by lawyers Datuk Naran Singh, Farhan Fadzil and J. Matthews. — Bernama