TAWAU: A Kolej Vokasional Lahad Datu student told the High Court here today that he saw scratch marks and bruises on the back of his friend, who was found dead on March 22.
The ninth prosecution witness testified that he saw injuries on the body of Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan, 17, when the victim entered Dormitory Room 7, Resak, at 10.30pm on March 21.
The student stated that the injuries on the upper right, middle, and back of his friend's body were clearly visible because the victim was shirtless.
"I saw bruises and reddish scratch marks," during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Batrisyia Mohd Khusri at the trial of Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat's murder case before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol.
Thirteen students, aged between 16 and 19, are jointly charged with the murder of Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan, 17, at Dormitory Room 7 Resak and 5 Belian, Kolej Vokasional Lahad Datu, between 9pm on March 21 and 7.38am on March 22.
They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years and up to 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
The witness also testified that on the night of the incident, Mohammed Nazmie Aizzat appeared weak, with a swollen face, lying on the bed in silence, and playing on his mobile phone.
"I went to sleep at 11pm, but when I woke up at 3am, I saw that Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat was not in his bed," said the teenager.
Meanwhile, the 10th prosecution witness, also a student at the college, told the court that a male student had attempted to stop the first, third, fourth, and fifth accused from continuing to assault the victim.
"The incident is estimated to have lasted about 20 minutes," he said when re-examined by Batrisyia.
The prosecution is also being carried out by DPPs Nur Nisla Abd Latif and Ng Juhn Tao.
Eight of the 13 accused are represented by lawyers Ram, Kamaruddin, and Chen Wen Jye, while the remaining five are defended by Mohamad Zairi, Abdul Ghani Zelika, Vivian Thien, Jhassany P Kang, and Kusni Ambotuwo.
The trial will continue on Dec 2.-- BERNAMA