Pregnant girlfriend's murder: Lawyer seeks psychiatric evaluation for client

SABAK BERNAM - The defence counsel of a man who was charged with murdering his pregnant girlfriend in May is seeking for the Sungai Besar magistrate's court to allow his client to be referred to a specialist at the psychiatric hospital.

Lawyer Muhammad Nor Tamrin said the application took into account the nature of the case his client Muhammad Fakrul Aiman Sajali, 20, was facing.

He said the application was made in accordance with Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

"Based on an interview with the accused, we also have the latest evidence regarding his mental state," he said during the proceedings, today.

Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Afiq Qiwamuddin Mustapha Shakri did not object to the application and left the matter to the court's discretion.

Magistrate Siti Hajar Ali then fixed Sept 26 for mention.

Fakrul was charged with murdering a 21-year-old woman.

He allegedly committed the offence at Jalan Sungai Limau, Sungai Besar between 8.30pm on May 22 and 8am, the next day.

He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries a death penalty, if convicted.

It was reported that a man had stabbed and burned his girlfriend who was four months pregnant in a palm oil plantation in Kampung Sungai Limau, Sungai Besar.

The victim was murdered as her boyfriend intended to keep her pregnancy a secret.

The victim's body was discovered a day after the incident after the police received a distress call at about 8.15am on May 23.