PUTRAJAYA: An odd job worker who was found guilty of killing his friend and living with the corpse for four days had his death sentence commuted to 30 years’ jail by the Court of Appeal on Monday (April 30).

The three-man panel led by judge Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail also ordered Mohd Azhud Ibrahim, 33, to be given 12 strokes of the rotan.

The panel which comprised Justices Datuk Azmi Ariffin and Datuk S.M. Komathy Suppiah also dismissed Mohd Azhud’s appeal to overturn his conviction.

The court, however, substituted the death sentence imposed on Mohd Azhud to 30 years in jail with 12 strokes of the rotan.

In affirming Mohd Azhud’s conviction for the murder offense, Justice Hadhariah said circumstantial evidence showed that it was the accused who murdered Ahmad Azam Ahmad.

Mohd Azhud was appealing against the Feb 21, 2023 decision of the Ipoh High Court in sentencing him to death after finding him guilty of killing Ahmad Azam, 43, at a house in Lorong Mohd Ali Kampung Bahagia, Teluk Intan, Perak at 12.10 midnight on Aug 10, 2018.

A post-mortem report showed that the deceased sustained 23 external injuries and severe injuries to the head and chest.