Judge Abdul Wahab Mohamed ordered Shaharudin Zakaria, 68, to serve the jail term from the date of his arrest on May 3, 2020, according to a Bernama report.

Shaharudin was charged with causing the death of Zaharah Khalid at a house in Kampung Pasir Panjang Laut, Seri Manjung, Manjung, at approximately 8pm on May 3, 2020.

He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

“The accused clearly had the intention of killing the deceased as she was strangled and thrown into a ditch,” said deputy public prosecutor Liyana Zawani Radzi, adding that other injuries on the deceased’s body were shown in the post-mortem report.

Despite the abolition of the mandatory death penalty earlier this month, Liyana requested that the accused be hanged due to the cruel manner in which the murder was committed.

However, Shaharudin’s lawyer M Saravanan appealed for a reduction in the sentence.

“At the very least, let him spend the rest of his life in prison peacefully,” said Saravanan.

“Do not add to his suffering by giving him the death penalty, as there is a possibility that Shaharudin may no longer be alive when the day for his hanging arrives.”

A total of 13 prosecution witnesses were called to testify, while only one represented the defence in the trial which began in 2021.