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IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE [2020] SGHC 168 Criminal Case No 47 of 2019 Between Public Prosecutor … Plaintiff And (1) Azlin binte Arujunah (2) Ridzuan bin Mega Abdul Rahman … Defendants GROUNDS OF DECISION [Criminal Law] — [Complicity] — [Common intention] [Criminal Law] — [Offences] — [Murder] [Criminal Law] — [Offences] — [Hurt] [Criminal Law] — [Special exceptions] — [Diminished responsibility] [Criminal Law] — [Statutory offences] — [Children and Young Persons Act] [Criminal Procedure and Sentencing] — [Sentencing] TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION............................................................................................1 BACKGROUND ..............................................................................................2 JOINT TRIAL OF ABUSE AND MURDER CHARGES............................4 THE ABUSE CHARGES ................................................................................7 JULY AND AUGUST CYPA CHARGES...............................................................7 Ridzuan’s offences in July 2016 .................................................................8 Azlin’s offences in August 2016 .................................................................9 ALLEGED INCIDENT IN END AUGUST TO EARLY SEPTEMBER 2016 ................11 FIRST HALF OF OCTOBER 2016......................................................................14 AFTER 15 OCTOBER 2016 .............................................................................15 CONCLUSION ON THE ABUSE CHARGES.........................................................22 THE MURDER CHARGES..........................................................................23 SUMMARY OF ISSUES AND DECISION FOR THE MURDER CHARGES ................24 CAUSE OF DEATH ..........................................................................................26 Factual basis ............................................................................................26 (1) Incident 1.....................................................................................26 (2) Incident 2.....................................................................................27 (3) Incident 3.....................................................................................28 (4) Incident 4.....................................................................................29 Scalding resulting from the splashing incidents ......................................30 Medical evidence on cause of death.........................................................31 The Defence’s arguments on the cause of death ......................................33 i Sufficient in ordinary course of nature to cause death ............................37 Conclusion on medical evidence ..............................................................41 DID RIDZUAN AND AZLIN POSSESS THE REQUISITE INTENTION?....................42 When must the common intention be formed? .........................................42 Why was common intention necessary? ...................................................43 Content of the common intention required...............................................43 Did the facts at hand allow such a common intention to be inferred?...................................................................................................49 Use of an adverse inference to fill the gap?.............................................55 Use of second, third and fourth incidents only.........................................56 AMENDMENT OF CHARGES ............................................................................58 Murder......................................................................................................58 Grievous hurt............................................................................................61 EXCEPTION 7 DEFENCES ................................................................................64 Legal context ............................................................................................64 The effect of the decision not to give evidence .........................................67 Azlin..........................................................................................................68 (1) Azlin’s Adjustment Disorder ......................................................68 (2) The first limb: abnormality of mind............................................69 (3) The second and third limbs .........................................................74 Ridzuan.....................................................................................................74 (1) The first limb: abnormality of mind............................................75 (A) ASPD.................................................................................75 (B) IED....................................................................................77 (I) Criteria .....................................................................77 (II) Criterion A ...............................................................78 (III) Criterion B ...............................................................81 (IV) Criterion C ...............................................................81 ii (V) Criterion D ...............................................................82 (VI) Criterion F; conclusion on IED................................82 (C) ADHD................................................................................83 (D) Hypnotic Use Disorder .....................................................83 (2) The second and third limbs .........................................................84 (3) Conclusion on Ridzuan’s reliance on Exception 7 .....................84 SUMMATION ON THE CHARGES...........................................................85 SENTENCES FOR AZLIN AND RIDZUAN..............................................86 PROSECUTION AND DEFENCE POSITIONS........................................................86 NECESSITY FOR DETERRENCE AND RETRIBUTION ..........................................88 ISSUES OF MITIGATION AND MENTAL CONDITION ..........................................89 SUITABILITY OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT ............................................................91 JOINT CULPABILITY OF AZLIN AND RIDZUAN ................................................97 THE SCALDING CHARGES..............................................................................98 Section 326 of the Penal Code .................................................................98 The appropriate sentences under s 325 of the Penal Code......................99 Adjustment for the use of dangerous means...........................................102 Aggravating and mitigating factors .......................................................104 ABUSE CHARGES.........................................................................................107 D2 and D3 ..............................................................................................108 C2 and C3...............................................................................................109 D5, D6 and D8 .......................................................................................110 C5A and D7A .........................................................................................113 C6 and D9 ..............................................................................................114 THE AGGREGATE SENTENCE........................................................................115 Unrelated precedents relating to death from abuse...............................116 iii The consecutive sentences......................................................................118 The concurrent sentences .......................................................................119 CONCLUSION.............................................................................................119 iv This judgment is subject to final editorial corrections approved by the court and/or redaction pursuant to the publisher’s duty in compliance with the law, for publication in LawNet and/or the Singapore Law Reports. Public Prosecutor v Azlin bte Arujunah and another [2020] SGHC 168 High Court — Criminal Case No 47 of 2019 Valerie Thean J 12–15, 18–20, 26–29 November 2019, 20 January, 3 April, 19 June, 13 July 2020 13 August 2020 Valerie Thean J: Introduction 1 Azlin binte Arujunah (“Azlin”) and Ridzuan bin Mega Abdul Rahman (“Ridzuan”) were jointly tried on multiple charges for various acts of abuse from July 2016 to October 2016 against their five-year-old son (“the Child”). In respect of a series of four scalding incidents which resulted in the Child’s death on 23 October 2016, they were charged with murder under s 300(c) read with s 34 of the Penal Code (Cap 224, 2008 Rev Ed) (“Penal Code”). After trial, I amended these murder charges and convicted Azlin and Ridzuan on newly framed charges based on the scalding incidents. I also convicted Azlin and Ridzuan on the charges for the acts of abuse, save for one on which they were acquitted. Azlin was sentenced to 27 years’ imprisonment and 12 months’ imprisonment in lieu of caning, while Ridzuan was sentenced to 27 years’ PP v Azlin bte Arujunah [2020] SGHC 168 imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane. I now furnish the grounds for my decision. Background 2 At the time of the offences, the accused persons, then 24 years of age, were the parents of six children. Azlin and Ridzuan lived together with four of their children at the material time: their oldest