SHAH ALAM: FORMER security guard La Ode Ardi Rasila, who shot dead bank officer Norazita Abu Talib in October last year, was sentenced to death by the High Court yesterday.
Judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir
sentenced La Ode to death by hanging after finding him guilty of murdering Norazita when he fired a shot at her during the robbery.
La Ode, 36, appeared expressionless when the judge passed
the sentence on him.
Akhtar said for the court
to determine whether the accused had unintentionally fired the shot, the case had to be looked at from two angles.
“The court took into account the evidence of a firearms expert, who stated that the weapon was functioning properly.”
The court also observed the
actions of the accused before, during and after he had fired the shot.
“The court found that the accused had intentionally fired the shot and knew how to operate the weapon.”
On Nov 11, La Ode was charged with murdering Norazita, 37, at the Subang Jaya AmBank branch in USJ Sentral between 6pm and 6.30pm on Oct 23.
He was also charged with
robbing the bank and shooting Norazita with a pump gun with the intention of causing her death.
Akhtar ruled that the accused himself had admitted to the offence and that the robbery was planned.
La Ode’s counsel, S. Selvi, said her client was sorry about the incident.
“He regrets what he did and would like to apologise to the victim’s family, the bank staff who were traumatised because of the incident, and to his former employer, whose security firm’s licence has been revoked by the government,” she said.
Norazita’s husband, Irwan Kamarudin, 38, said he was satisfied with the ruling as justice had been served.
“I have been hoping for justice and now I am relieved.”
La Ode fled with RM450,000 from the bank’s vault after shooting Norazita in the face. He was caught on Nov 10.
