TS Sinnathuray J:

The appellant, who at the material time was 23 years old, an odd-job labourer and who also practised as a part-time temple medium, was tried and convicted by the High Court of two Judges of having on 31 October 1983 in a flat committed murder by causing the death of a frail lady, Chong Kin Meng, aged 66 years, contrary to s. 302 of the Penal Code. He committed the offence in the course of a robbery. His appeal against the conviction was dismissed by us.

The deceased was living in the flat with her foster son, Woo, and his recently married wife. At about 6.30 p.m. on 31 October 1983 Woo's wife returned to the locked flat and found the deceased lying on her right side on the kitchen floor. Her head was covered with 3 or 4 pieces of clothing. Police and ambulance officers, who were summoned, arrived at the flat and found the deceased dead. They also found that a stool, made up of a wooden seat on 4 iron legs, was not in its normal position in the flat. Its seat was found dislodged from its wooden base. Also found on the cooker in the kitchen was a red wedding dinner invitation card, wrapped in a white letterhead paper, which were held together by a rubber ba