A 52-year-old man who beat a property agent to death was sentenced to 12 years of preventive detention by a High Court Judge on Friday.
Rosli Yassin had pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide in September last year, after his murder charge over Madam Choo Xue Ying’s death was reduced.
The pair had an argument while they were on their way to a meeting on Oct 16, 2008.
Mdm Choo stopped her car at Lorong Sesuai to continue their conversation, but their discussion turned aggressive and Rosli started to punch her in the head and face.
When he heard her threaten to call the police, he snatched her mobile phone and struck her a few times on the head until she fell to the ground.
After taking her handbag, which had her identity card, cheque book and credit cards, he carried her to the bottom of the slope and drove off in her car, leaving her to die.
Mdm Choo’s decomposed body was found by a jogger four days later.
On Friday, the prosecution argued for Rosli to be sentenced to 20 years’ preventive detention, citing his high risk of re-offending.
Rosli had been given eight years of preventive detention in 1999, before he went on to commit further property offences in 2007 and 2008.
“The accused is clearly a menace to society,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Lau Wing Yum.
Rosli’s lawyer Wong Siew Hong felt preventive detention of less than 20 years would be appropriate, taking into account his client’s age.
Besides the culpable homicide charge, Rosli also pleaded guilty to seven charges which included cheating, theft, criminal breach of trust and abetting forgery.
While he agreed that most of Rosli’s offences were “petty” and the accused is not “beyond redemption”, Justice Woo Bih Li agreed with the prosecution and felt that society must be protected.
Source- TODAY 12 May 2012