ALOR SETAR, May 26 – The Sessions Court here today ordered a real estate agent accused of stabbing a woman in the neck in Kepala Batas near here on May 17 to undergo 30 days of psychiatric evaluation at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta.
Judge N Priscilla Hemamalini made the order after lawyer Mohd Hakim Hamran informed the court that his client, Muhammad Ilhami Baddrudin, 32, was currently receiving psychiatric treatment at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital here.
Mohd Hakim said the accused also had scheduled follow-up treatment at the hospital and was taking medication for mental health issues, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), besides claiming to hear voices.
“To ensure the fairness of the trial, the accused needs to be mentally fit to present a defence. I am applying for an order under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code for further psychiatric evaluation,” he said.
Earlier, Muhammad Ilhami pleaded not guilty to attempted murder by allegedly stabbing Nurul Husna Kasma, 35, in the neck with a knife at the parking area of Sheikh Bistro in Titi Gajah, Kepala Batas, near here at 9.19 pm on May 17.
The charge, under Section 307(1) of the Penal Code, carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, or up to 20 years’ imprisonment if the offence caused injury.
Mention was fixed for July 2. – BERNAMA
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