M'sia businessman to hang for killing wife and two children
A Malaysian businessman, who was being pressured by creditors after racking up a mountain of debt, decided to kill his whole family.
On Tuesday, the court sentenced Jacob Tiang Lee Yee to death by hanging for murdering his wife and two children at their house in Sibu on the morning of July 15 last year.
The 44-year-old man had been found guilty last month of killing his wife Ling Yung Ming, 40, daughter Christine Tiang Soon Ai,14, and son Victor Tiang Soon Sheng, 2.
Tiang was also found guilty of the attempted murder of another son, Vincent Tiang Soon Thai, 17.
For the attempted murder, he was sentenced to 15 years of jail.
'Evil decision'
Judge Supang Lian said in her judgement that the case was "a tragedy of unequal proportions".
"It is a story of a man, having amassed massive debts, falling into the hands of merciless creditors and in the end, driven to make the totally evil decision of killing his whole family.
"His wife Yung Ming was not spared and his daughter Christine and infant son Victor did not stand a chance.
"His son Vincent valiantly fought for his life and we are thankful he managed to escape from the house and from his father.
"To my mind, nothing can be more tragic and hurtful for a 17-year-old son than to come to the realisation that he faced death at the hands of his own father.
"There can be no denying that this incident would have wounded him deeply and the memory of it (would be) etched in his mind for life," the judge said.
Visit the graves
The deputy public prosecutor had approached Vincent, who was present at court, to give an impact statement, but he had declined.
Tiang was calm when the sentence was read out loud and explained to him by a court interpreter.
The judge granted his request to visit the graves of his wife and two children, but said it would be under "strict supervision" and that he would be escorted by prison authorities.
When asked by the judge why he wanted to do so, Tiang replied that he just wanted to see their graves.
He said if the court did not allow it, he hoped photographs could be taken for him to view.
Source: The Star Online
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