A Malaysian man who smothered his girlfriend to death with a pillow following an argument has been sentenced to 32 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
The High Court in Klang handed down the sentence on June 30 after finding 23-year-old Amirul Amin Amirruddin guilty of murdering his 24-year-old girlfriend, Nurul Shahira Abdullah, in 2022.
Judge Norliza Othman ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt at the end of the defence’s case.
The court ordered the prison sentence to commence from Aug. 24, 2022, the date of his arrest.
Victim Died After Being Smothered With Pillow
According to court proceedings, the fatal incident took place at a house in Kampung Sri Pandan, Klang, at about 7.18pm on Aug. 24, 2022.
A post-mortem examination found that the victim died from suffocation after her face was covered with a pillow.
The judge noted that during cross-examination, Amirul admitted he could see the victim breathing slowly and struggling while he was pressing the pillow against her face.
He also acknowledged knowing that his actions could prevent her from breathing, as the pillow had covered her entire face.
The court heard that he only stopped after noticing that the victim was no longer resisting and had stopped breathing.
Argument Escalated Into Deadly Attack
Investigations revealed that the couple had been involved in an argument after the accused allegedly refused to sign an agreement promising not to leave the victim.
The judge said the accused had agreed during cross-examination with the prosecution’s suggestion that there were other ways to calm the victim down besides using a pillow.
Prosecutors argued that his actions demonstrated an awareness that the victim could die as a result of being unable to breathe.
Earlier Conviction Overturned
The case had previously resulted in a lesser conviction.
In October 2025, the same court sentenced Amirul to seven years’ jail for causing death without the intention to kill.
However, prosecutors successfully appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal, which ordered the accused to enter his defence on a murder charge instead.
Following the fresh proceedings, the High Court found him guilty of murder and imposed a significantly heavier sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane.
Source:Â BERNAMA