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A FORMER student of Lahad Datu Vocational College has been sentenced to life imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane after being found guilty of murdering a fellow student, Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan, 17, in March last year.
High Court Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol handed down the sentence on Thursday in Tawau, and also ordered that 12 other boys involved in the incident, who were still minors at the time, be imprisoned at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah under the same charge.
While the prosecution had urged the court to impose the death penalty, the judge said the 20-year-old, who was 19 at the time of the offence, should be given an opportunity to rehabilitate and rebuild his life as a contributing member of society.
“Youth may be a factor to consider, but in this case it is not sufficient to justify reducing the sentence, considering the gravity of the crime,” he said.
“The offender, no longer a child in the eyes of the law, must face sentencing under the Penal Code, unlike the other 12 juveniles who were tried under the Child Act,” the judge explained.
All 13 were convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34, for acting in concert in the murder of their hostelmate.
For the 12 juvenile offenders, Judge Sikodol ordered that they be held in prison for a period to be determined by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, in accordance with Section 97(2)(b) of the Child Act 2001.
Earlier, the judge remarked that bullying in schools was not a new issue, but had now escalated to deadly consequences.
“This case serves as a stark reminder that bullying destroys lives, robs children of their future, and crushes the hopes of parents,” he said.
“Parents send their children to school expecting them to receive an education and build a better life, only for some to return traumatised — and others, not at all.” - August 28, 2025