THE Penang High Court today sentenced a personal bodyguard to death for murdering his employer and two others in a shooting incident along Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway four years ago.

Judge Abdul Wahab Mohamed handed down the sentence on Ja’afar Halid, 41, after finding the defence had failed to establish reasonable doubts against the prosecution’s case at the end of a full trial.

The court also sentenced him to 15 years’ jail on each of the five counts for attempted murder, where he was charged with shooting at Lee Hong Boon, 59, on the left chest; Nurul Huda Ab Aziz, 42, (shoulder); Puah Bee Joo, 36, (shoulder); Mohamad Amirul Amin Mohamed Amer, 32, (left chest) and K. Arivarni, 37, (head).

However, the court ordered him to serve the jail sentences concurrently from the date of his arrest, which was December 1, 2016.

When delivering his decision, Wahab said the testimony by the accused he could not remember what happened during the incident was not acceptable because based on the testimony at the prosecution stage, it showed he had the intention to shoot.

He said the claim of unstable mind was also not accepted as based on the evidence, the shots fired were focused attack.

Wahab said based on the testimony by a witness, who is a doctor, the accused had taken medicine due to his dependence and addiction to drugs, which he had been taking since he was 12.

Ja’afar was charged on September 12, 2017 with killing his employer, businessman Ong Teik Kwong, 32, and two other individuals, Choi Hoi Ming, 32, and Senthil Murugiah, 38, by firing at them with a shotgun at the exit to the Penang Bridge at the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.

He was charged with committing the offence between 7.15pm and 7.30pm on December 1,  2016.

Ja’afar was also charged with five counts of attempted murder by shooting five more individuals at the same place, time and date.

A total of 37 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, including the accused, testified during proceedings.

Deputy public prosecutor Noor Azura Zulkiflee prosecuted, while Ja’afar was represented by Y. Anbanathan. – Bernama, December 16, 2020.