PUTRAJAYA: A former factory worker escaped the gallows after the charge preferred against her for the murder of her housemate was amended to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Somchit Charen, 37, was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail today for killing Suriati Mat Saad, 29, who was also her colleague, at a house in Taman Semarak, Sungai Petani, Kedah between noon and 5.30 pm on Sept 19, 2011.
According to Somchit’s counsel K. Simon Murali, the prosecution had agreed for the murder charge against his client to be amended to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
He said his client agreed to the amendment and pleaded guilty to the amended charge.
He said the panel, which includes Justices Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and Datuk S.M. Komathy, then quashed Somchit’s murder conviction and death sentence and convicted her on the amended charge.
Murali said Somchit, a Malaysian of Thai origin, was ordered to serve the jail sentence from Oct 23, 2018.
Somchit was found guilty and sentenced to death by the Alor Setar High Court on July 14, 2021 for the murder offence.
In mitigating for a lighter jail sentence, Murali told the court that the death of Suriati arose from a sudden fight between her and Somchit.
He said they were in a relationship and Somchit was in love with Suriati but the relationship turned sour when Suriati decided to get married to a man.
He told the court that Somchit was traumatised by the incident and until today she was still grieving for her friend.
He said in the altercation, both Somchit and Suriati suffered serious injuries.
He also told the court that his client was arrested and held in remand in hospital for 14 days and was released unconditionally, adding that seven years later in 2018 she was wanted by the police.
She surrendered and was subsequently charged in the Magistrate’s Court with murder on Oct 23, 2018.
In his judgment, High Court judge Datuk Ghazali Cha identified the duo as “pasangan cinta sejenis’’.
The judge also said evidence from a prosecution witness showed that the fight between Somchit and the deceased was likely due to jealousy when Somchit found out that Suriati was going to be engaged to be married to a man.
Deputy public prosecutor P. Sarulatha appeared for the prosecution. -Bernama