Body in suitcase: Husband, wife sentenced to death

SIBU (July 31): A couple from the Klang Valley was sentenced to death by the High Court here today for the murder of a 38-year-old woman in 2020, whose body was found in a suitcase dumped by the roadside.

Judge Datuk Christopher Chin pronounced the sentence against Seow Pei Chie, 41, from Subang Jaya, Selangor and her husband Cheung Chai Ming, 41, from Jalan Tun Sambathan, Kuala Lumpur after finding them guilty of killing Heng Heow Lin, 38.

The couple was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Code.

The Section provides for the death penalty or imprisonment for a term not less than 30 years but not exceeding 40 years, and if not sentenced to death, shall be punished with whipping of not less than 12 strokes, upon conviction.

Based on the charge sheet, Seow and Cheung were accused of causing the death of Heng between Oct 4, 2020 at about 10pm and Oct 6 at about 6am at a house at Jalan Tong Sang here.

Justice Chin in delivering his verdict said the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case.

Among the evidence accepted by the court was the statement by a fellow prostitute who testified having witnessed the accused frequently assaulting Heng when she failed to earn sufficient money from vice activities to repay her late husband’s debt to the couple.

The court had also accepted a statement by Cheung against his wife, in which he said that Seow had intentionally caused bodily injury to Heng by repeatedly bashing her head against a wall and then strangling her with a red towel.

Justice Chin noted that the couple had made statements where they accused each other of committing the acts leading to the death of the victim, with Seow also having been witnessed to have a habit of becoming violent when in a rage.

“The deceased’s death was caused by or as a consequence of the acts of Seow in furtherance of a common intention with Cheung. As to the common intention, there is no evidence offered by Cheung to distance himself from the acts that resulted in the death of the victim.

“There was no assertion by him that he tried to stop the violent attacks by Seow, and he did not seek medical attention for the victim. The opposite is true – he assisted in helping to dispose of the victim’s body.

“A fellow prostitute of the victim had observed frequent beatings on the victim inflicted by both the accused,” he said, adding that Heng’s daughter, who at one time resided here with her, was also subjected to daily scolding and beatings.

In explaining his decision to sentence the couple to death, the judge said it was made after considering the pattern of abuse and brutality inflicted on the victim.

“The facts of this case will shock anyone in civil society. You have subjected the victim and her teenage daughter to years of torture, fear and physical abuse.

“You lived off her earnings as a prostitute and when she did not earn enough, you became violent towards her. You were also prepared to prostitute the daughter of the deceased for your own monetary gain as moneylenders.

“The victim died a brutal death. The autopsy report showed that she had blunt force trauma on her head consistent with having her head violently knocked onto the wall and after all that violence, she was strangled to death.

“Civil society will find it hard to believe that such manner of abuse exists today and in their midst,” he said.

Justice Chin said the only solace he could take from the case was that Heng’s daughter had managed to escape from the couple’s psychological and physical abuse, and that the deceased was now free from the violence and mental torture inflicted by the accused.

“This was not a random isolated physical beating but had gone on for a long time. It is hard to construe the murder as unintentional. After the death, the deceased was bundled by both of you into a suitcase and dumped on roadside.

“This act could not have been done by any one of you alone, but must have been carried out by both of you together,” he said.

The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Kenneth Netto, while the two accused were represented by lawyers Yap Hoi Liong and Jacob Wong.