A three-member bench chaired by Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil said there was no merit in the appeal by Yuwafee Heidi Hamdan, 32.

“The trial judge made no error in his findings that warrant appellate intervention. The conviction is safe,” said Karim, who sat with Abu Bakar Jais and Supang Lian.

Yuwafee disposed of 22-year-old Normaizatul Nor Jaya’s body below the Jalan Lombong bridge, Saujana Putra in Sungai Jenjarom on May 29, 2015.

He was arrested on June 10, 2015 after police interviewed the colleagues of the victim, who worked as a hotel receptionist here.

The High Court two years ago sentenced Yuwafee to death after weighing the evidence of 25 prosecution and three defence witnesses.

According to the facts and evidence presented, Yuwafee confessed to his ex-girlfriend, Farah Adiba Badarudin during a telephone conversation that he committed the offence because he was jealous, as the victim was meeting other men.

It was also revealed during trial that Normaizatul had lodged reports after the accused assaulted her in January and May 2015 for sending threatening text messages.

Farah in her testimony said the accused told her how he suffocated the vicitm by covering her mouth and nose before dumping her body into the river.

The partly-decomposed corpse was found two days later.

Earlier today, deputy public prosecutor How May Ling submitted that there were no injuries on the body but that the testimony of pathologist Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim should be accepted.

Lawyer K Mahendren who appeared for the accused submitted that the conviction was unsafe as there was no direct evidence which implicated his client.