KOTA KINABALU: The Coroner’s Court on Monday heard that Zara Qairina Mahathir may have left her hostel dormitory in tears after being accused of stealing on the night before she was found unconscious.
Counsel Shahlan Jufri told reporters that the sixth child witness testified she last saw Zara around 11pm on July 15, when the teenager walked out of the room crying.
The deponent said four seniors, including two she knew, had earlier entered the dormitory to confront Zara over missing wallets, during which she overheard a raised voice that sounded like someone scolding her.
She also told the court that Zara had never entered that dorm before and that she herself once delivered a private letter belonging to Zara to another student in the hostel.
Meanwhile, Shahlan said another child witness described harsh reprimands from seniors as a common culture among hostel students, while the legal team submitted sketch plans of the dormitory layout to assist the Coroner in understanding the movement of students on the night of the incident.
