The Court of Appeal has upheld a 30-year jail term and caning for a man convicted of murdering a 78-year-old victim in a Johor homestay
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today upheld a 30-year prison sentence and 12 strokes of the cane for a man convicted of murdering an elderly victim.
A three-judge panel unanimously dismissed the appeal by former car spray workshop worker Lu Kian Pin, 41.
The panel, led by Datuk Azman Abdullah, found no grounds to overturn the Johor Bahru High Court’s conviction.
Judge Datuk Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid, delivering the judgment, stated the appellant failed to prove the High Court had erred.
He said Lu failed to establish any provocation by the victim or present meritorious grounds to set aside the conviction.
The court found the prosecution had sufficiently proven Lu’s intention to cause injury that could result in death.
Lu was convicted of murdering 78-year-old Foo Ji Khwe at a homestay in Taman Kota Kulai, Johor. The offence occurred at 3.30 pm on March 7, 2021.
Deputy Public Prosecutor P. Sarulatha outlined the prosecution’s case during the appeal.
A witness testified seeing Lu and the deceased walking upstairs before hearing a struggle and screams.
The witness later saw Lu descending the stairs holding a blood-stained knife. A post-mortem examination revealed the victim sustained 16 injuries, including seven stab wounds.
Three severe stab wounds to the chest and abdomen were determined as the cause of death.
The High Court had sentenced Lu to 30 years’ imprisonment from his arrest date and 12 strokes of the cane in February 2024.
Lawyer G. Ravi represented the appellant at today’s proceedings.