Prosecution seeks to prove police officer struck student at high speed causing death

IPOH - The prosecution today sought to prove that senior police officer DSP Mohd Nazri Abdul Razak, charged with causing the death of a student, struck the victim at high speed without taking any evasive action on Dec 15 last year.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Afzainizam Abdul Aziz stated that the speed limit in the area was only 30 km per hour, and the accused’s act of hitting Muhammad Zaharif Affendi Muhd Zamrie, 17, led to the victim’s injuries.

"The accused’s act of colliding with the victim was intended to cause injury, and that injury was sufficient under normal circumstances to result in death.

"The accused struck the victim with full awareness of the grave danger of his actions, which could likely result in death or serious injury leading to death,” he told High Court Judge Datuk Bhupindar Singh Gucharan Singh Preet during his opening statement on the first day of the trial of Mohd Nazri, 44.

Mohd Nazri is charged with causing the death of Muhammad Zaharif Affendi Muhd Zamrie, 17, at the Jalan Taman Jati 1 / Pekeliling Meru Indah junction near Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Jati between 11.45 am and 12.32 pm on Dec 15, 2023.

Afzainizam stated that the prosecution will also present evidence showing that the accused was driving a Perodua Ativa car, while the victim was riding a Yamaha motorcycle at the time of the incident as charged.

"At the time of the incident, the accused was driving the car towards SMK Taman Jati Ipoh, where the victim was a student.

"He arrived at SMK Taman Jati Ipoh, then exited the school and followed the victim. The accused pursued the victim from the intersection of Jalan Taman Jati 1/Jalan Pekeliling Meru Indah towards Masjid Muhammad Al Fateh and the Taman Gerbang Meru residential area,” he said.

He explained that upon reaching the end of the road in the Taman Gerbang Meru Indah residential area, both the accused and the victim turned back, heading along the same route towards the intersection of Jalan Taman Jati 1/Jalan Pekeliling Meru Indah.

He added that after turning back, the accused continued to chase the victim, and upon reaching the intersection of Jalan Taman Jati 1/Jalan Pekeliling Meru Indah, the accused collided with the rear of the victim's motorcycle.

"As a result of the collision, the victim sustained (severe) injuries and died at the scene. Medical examinations and the autopsy showed that he suffered fatal injuries due to the collision," he said.

Three prosecution witnesses were called to testify during today’s proceedings. They were Constable Muhammad Azif Daniel Abdul Ghafar, from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division complaint counter, Ipoh District Police Headquarters (IPD); Cpl Md Zahir Abdullah, Classified Crime Investigation Unit (D5), custodian of the evidence store at the Ipoh IPD; and ASP Nur Fairuz Idris, a forensic investigation officer from the Royal Malaysia Police Lab.

Also presented in court were ten items of evidence, including a Perodua Ativa car and a Yamaha motorcycle.

The prosecution was led by Afzainizam alongside DPPs Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani, V. Suloshani, and Low Qin Hui, while the accused was represented by lawyers M. Athimulan, Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, and Aiman Hakim Kamaruzzaman.

The trial will resume tomorrow. - BERNAMA