Monday, 4 June 2012

Affair, taunt led to honour killing: court


A man accused of murdering his wife's lover in an honour killing "completely lost it" when the victim called him a poofter, a Sydney jury has been told.

Hazairin Iskandar was provoked by Mohd Shah Saemin to the point where he lost self control and stabbed him, James Trevallion, representing Iskandar, told the Supreme Court today.

Mr Saemin, known as Shah, died after he was attacked by Iskandar and his son Andrew outside his Leichhardt flat in Sydney's inner west on the night of February 21, 2010.
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Iskandar has pleaded not guilty to his murder, but guilty to manslaughter.

The court heard Iskandar's wife Nita was having an affair with Mr Saemin, who worked with her in the Malaysian consulate, and that rumours of their relationship were spreading.

"This liaison became a talking point within the Malaysian community in Sydney," crown prosecutor Kara Shead said, adding, "People told (Iskandar) he was the husband and he had to stop it."

Ms Shead said Iskandar and his son lay in wait for Mr Saemin outside his flat before crashing their hired car into his car and pursuing him through the streets.

The court heard Iskandar's wife Nita was having an affair with Mr Saemin, who worked with her in the Malaysian consulate, and that rumours of their relationship were spreading.

"This liaison became a talking point within the Malaysian community in Sydney," crown prosecutor Kara Shead said, adding, "People told (Iskandar) he was the husband and he had to stop it."

Ms Shead said Iskandar and his son lay in wait for Mr Saemin outside his flat before crashing their hired car into his car and pursuing him through the streets.

The court heard Iskandar stabbed Mr Saemin at least four times to the upper body with a knife while his son struck him repeatedly with a hammer.

"He tried to escape. He ran from his two attackers," Ms Shead said. "Whilst he was running he was screaming out to save his life."

Mr Saemin suffered several blunt force blows to the head, but ultimately he bled to death at the scene from stab wounds.

"It is the crown case that to protect the honour of his family and together with his son, the accused planned to kill the deceased in what they thought of as an honour killing," Ms Shead said.

"This was a pre-planned, premeditated and executed killing.

"The crown case is the accused planned to kill or at the very least seriously injure the deceased."

Mr Trevallion said Iskandar was becoming "very anxious, frustrated, despairing" over the rumours about his wife's affair.

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