Penang man pleads guilty to attempted murder of infant and toddler

GEORGE TOWN: A 28-year-old man pleaded guilty in the Sessions Court here Wednesday (Aug 9) to two charges of attempted murder for causing injury to a 44-day-old infant and three-year-old toddler.

Unemployed Mohammad Azmin Hamanullah entered the plea before Sessions judge Mazdi Abdul Hamid.

For the first charge, he was said to have attempted to murder the infant, resulting in injury, at around 3pm on Aug 2 at a flat in Jalan Makloom here.

For the second charge, he was accused of committing the same act against the three-year-old at the same location, time and date.

Both charges fall under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, which provides a maximum jail term of 20 years upon conviction. Mazdi did not allow bail.

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Earlier, DPP Lee Jun Keong urged that the accused be sent to Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan in Perak for a psychiatric evaluation, based on the facts of the case.

“We request that the accused be sent for psychiatric evaluation under Section 342(5) of the Criminal Procedure Code (where an accused is suspected to be of unsound mind),” he told the court.

Mazdi then set Sept 11 for mention pending the psychiatric evaluation report.

It was reported on Aug 3 that a man believed to have mental health issues was remanded for seven days after he threw a three-year-old child and a 40-day-old baby off a first-floor balcony.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Soffian Santong said a police report was received on Aug 2 from a 31-year-old man that his two children were thrown off his first-floor apartment balcony by his brother-in-law.

“The incident took place at around 3.30pm on Aug 2 at an apartment in George Town.

“During the incident, the suspect was not clothed and had a self-inflicted injury on his left wrist.

“According to family members, the suspect has shown mental health issues the past month,” he said in a statement.

ACP Soffian said the three-year-old sustained a broken left leg and injuries to the mouth due to the fall.

“The infant has bleeding in the brain. Both victims are in stable condition and are receiving treatment in hospital,” he said.