S'porean man, 36, sentenced to 72 years' jail & 12 strokes of cane in M'sia for murder of wife & stepson

A Singaporean man has been sentenced to 72 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane in Malaysia for murdering his wife and stepson.

Their dismembered remains were found in 2019, reported The Star.

Shahrul Nizam Zuraimy, 36, was charged with two counts of murder for causing the deaths of his wife, Norfazera Bidin, 27, and her son, Muhammad Iman Ashraf Abdullah, 11.

The murder took place at a house in Melaka Tengah, between 6pm on Oct. 6 and 7:30am on Oct. 7, 2019.

The charge carries the death penalty or a maximum 40-year prison sentence in Malaysia.

In lieu of the death penalty, caning of no fewer than 12 strokes is mandatory.

He was found guilty of both charges and sentenced to 36 years' imprisonment and 12 strokes for each charge, with the sentences to run consecutively, backdated to the date of arrest on Oct. 11, 2019.

Put wife's head in ceiling

The judge described Shahrul's actions as "cruel".

He had reportedly placed his wife's head in the ceiling of their house in an attempt to conceal the crime and the victims' identities.

"The court considered the concept of life for life, as well as the emotions of the victims' family members. However, it must also look at the case as a whole and the wider public interest," the judge said.

The court also took into account the defence's submissions, aggravating factors presented by the prosecution and statements from the mother and sister of the deceased who testified to suffering emotional trauma and health problems.

Spared death penalty

Norfazera's mother and sister gave impact statements detailing the trauma the family had went through and the brutality of the killings.

They urged the court to impose a commensurate sentence, including the death penalty.

The prosecutors also sought either the death penalty or consecutive prison sentences, highlighting how Shahrul, as the "protector" of the family, had betrayed the victims.

"The accused was supposed to protect the victims but instead killed them, including a child who was his stepson. The court must balance public interest with the severity of the cruelty committed," they argued.

Shahrul's lawyers pleaded for leniency, saying he had repented and regretted his actions.

However, the prosecution noted that although he eventually surrendered, he initially misled the victims' family about their whereabouts and fled to Singapore after committing the crime.

Top photo from The Star