A 33-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter for causing the death of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old baby.
The accused, Ahmad Asraf, made the plea before the judge at Johor Bahru High Court yesterday (Oct 30).
Accidentally stepped on baby in the dark
According to Sin Chew Daily, Asraf took the baby to his home in Kota Tinggi on July 18, 2022 to care for her following his girlfriend’s hospitalisation.
At around 3.30am on July 20, Asraf woke up to the sounds of the baby crying and left the room to make a bottle of milk.
But when he returned to the darkened room, Asraf, who weighed 138kg at the time of the incident, accidentally stepped on the baby’s chest, causing her to hyperventilate.
After switching on the light and noticing something was wrong, he tried to perform first aid on the baby and rushed her to the hospital. But it proved to be too late.
Asraf later surrendered to the police and was arrested that day for investigations.
Jailed 10 years
Months after his arrest, a visibly thinner Asraf appeared in court to hear his fate handed down on him by the judge.
The prosecution urged the court to impose a jail sentence of no less than 12 years, saying that an innocent life was lost needlessly.
Asraf’s lawyer pleaded for leniency, saying his client tried to resuscitate the victim but ultimately failed.
He also said Asraf had expressed deep remorse for his actions and asked his girlfriend for her forgiveness.
After hearing both sides, the judge charged Asraf with manslaughter after taking several factors into consideration, which included his cooperation with the police and showing no signs of aggression.
Asraf was ordered to serve 10 years in jail starting from the date of his arrest.
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