KOTA KINABALU: A dormmate of the late Form One student, Zara Qairina Mahathir, told the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday that Zara looked angry and distraught on the night she was last seen before being found unconscious at the SMKA Tun Mustapha hostel.
Counsel Joan Goh said the ninth child witness testified that Zara returned to her dorm around 11pm on July 15, appeared upset, and was seen crying on the floor while denying accusations of theft.
The witness added that Zara had earlier been called to another dorm where some students reported missing belongings, and later a Jalur Gemilang pin belonging to another student was found among Zara’s items.
She told the court that Zara kept a diary she would write in whenever she was stressed, often about missing her old school friends, and that she never mentioned being bullied or pressured by others.
The witness also recalled an earlier incident when money went missing in the dorm, and some of it was found in Zara’s locker, adding that she was afraid to greet Zara on the day she last saw her because she looked upset.
The inquest continues on Thursday with another witness.
