KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais' murder trial was halted today when the the seventh accused told the court he was 'not in the right state of mind'.
S. Ravichandran, 45, said he had trouble sleeping last night, claiming that the Prison Department changed his cell room, putting him up with new foreign inmates.
“I cannot testify today as I could not sleep last night and have not eaten since yesterday.
“I want to stay in my previous cell block together with the other accused in this case,” he said after taking his oath in the witness stand before judge Datuk Azman Abdullah.
Azman, however, said he cannot do anything as the matter was under the purview of the Prison Department and insisted for the proceeding to continue.
“I cannot say anything because it is not under my privilege. I think the counsel can continue his examination-in-chief,” he said.
However, Ravichandran, who is also the sixth defend witness, declined to answer lawyer V. Rajehgopal’s questions and insisted he was not well to continue.
Earlier, Rajehgopal told the court that Ravichandran’s family told him the latter was under pressure and stressed.
Ravichandran, S. Nimalan, 22; R. Dineshwaran, 23; A. K. Thinesh Kumar, 22; and M. Vishwanath, 25; were jointly-charged with murdering Morais, 55, between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, while the victim was on his way from Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul to No. 1 Jalan USJ1/6D, Subang Jaya.
They face the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
Dr. R. Kunaseegaran, 54, is charged with abetting in the murder of Morais.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Saiful Edris Zainuddin is prosecuting while the accused are represented by counsel M. Manoharan, Rajehgopal and G. Sivakumar.
The trial continues tomorrow morning.
