SIBU: A couple was charged at the Magistrate’s Court on Monday (Oct 19) with the murder of a woman whose body was stuffed into a suitcase near Jalan Aman here.
Both accused understood the charge when it was read and explained to them in Mandarin through an interpreter.
However, no plea was taken from them pending the chemist’s report.
Presiding magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Wan Ali scheduled the case for further mention on Nov 19.
Meanwhile, the couple was ordered to be further remanded as murder is a non-bailable offence.
Seow Pei Chie from Subang Jaya, Selangor and her husband Cheung Chia Ming from Jalan Tun Sambathan, Kuala Lumpur — both aged 38 — were indicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code, and read together with Section 34 of the same code which provides for a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
The couple was jointly charged with the murder of Heng Meow Lin at a house at Jalan Tong Sang, between Oct 5 and 6 at around 10pm to 6am.
The charge was preferred by the case’s investigation officer ASP Che Intan Subri against the accused who were unrepresented.
It was earlier reported that the victim, whose body was found partially stuffed inside a suitcase at Jalan Aman on Oct 6, was believed to have put up a fight as she was beaten and strangled by her attackers, according to Sibu police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit.
He said this was based on a post-mortem conducted by Sarawak General Hospital forensics medical expert Dr Norliza Ibrahim.
The post-mortem revealed that the victim’s cause of death was asphyxia due to neck compression along with head injuries due to blunt force trauma.
“The victim showed signs consistent with someone who tried to defend herself,” he said, adding that police are still probing the motive in the case.
The victim, who was said to be an acquaintance to the two suspects, was found by a passer-by by the roadside of Jalan Aman about 6.30am on Oct 6.
She was fully clothed with her body stuffed into the suitcase from the waist down.
Bruises were found on her face and neck, and she was believed to have died a few hours before the body was discovered.
Two handwritten notes were found on her.
The suspects were picked up from a house at Jalan Tong Sang at 3.45pm on the same day.
