Court Upholds Man's Death Sentence For Murdering His Dad Who Scolded Him For Doing Drugs
You Poh Khoon tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine during the time of murder.
By Jasmine Chea — 09 Mar 2023, 01:47 PM
Earlier this week, the Court of Appeal dismissed a man's claim of temporary insanity as a reason for beheading his father five years ago.
The second highest court also upheld the man's death sentence pronounced on him by the Ipoh High Court.
You Poh Khoon was found guilty by the Ipoh High Court on 24 May last year. He was charged with murdering his 74-year-old father between 3pm on 8 October 2018 and 10.30am the next day, in their family home in Khanthan Baru Chemor.
You then filed an appeal to set aside the conviction and sentence on grounds of insanity.
However, on 6 March this year, a three-member Court of Appeal bench, chaired by Justice Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said, stated that they were not convinced by You's defence of insanity.
"There is no evidence that contradicts the testimony of the 15th prosecution witness, psychiatrist Dr A Ian Llyod. The evidence exists and should be accepted," Justice Kamaludin said.
"The court found the conviction and sentence by the Ipoh High Court to be safe. The appeal of the appellant (You) was rejected. The appellant still has the opportunity to appeal in Federal Court," he added.
During the initial trial, You had gone through a psychological evaluation at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta
You was found to be sane and not suffering from any form of mental illness. Psychiatrist Dr A Ian Llyod also served as a witness for the prosecution, and declared You as sane.
However, You's lawyer, Amir Faliq Mohamad Jamil, contested that although the prosecution had called a psychiatrist who confirmed that his client was sane at the time of the incident, the doctor did not rule out the possibility of temporary insanity, if there was drug addiction.
"A total of six prosecution witnesses have also proved that the appellant temporarily lost his sanity during the incident due to drug consumption," added the lawyer.
You had tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine during the time of murder.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Azmi Mashud then submitted that You knew the nature and consequences of his actions because at the time of the incident, he was able to drive a car for more than 100km, as well as detail the incident and what he did to the deceased.
According to Azmi, the testimony by the six prosecution witnesses that You became insane due to drugs was only through their observations.
You murdered his father after he reprimanded him for bringing drugs into their home
He cut off his father's head with a machete, and later chopped his body into six parts.
You's actions were later discovered when his sister noticed blood all over the house walls, mattresses, and pillows.
The 74-year-old's head was found buried in the home's backyard, while his other remains had been thrown into a 1.5m-deep sewage reservoir.
