Kota Kinabalu: The High Court, in the trial of 10 prison personnel charged with murdering an inmate at Kepayan Prison four years ago, heard that the victim was diagnosed with viral meningitis several days prior to his death.
Prosecution witness Dr Rahimah Rasali told Judge Datuk Christopher Chin, on Thursday, that while she was a medical officer attached to Kota Belud Hospital, she received a patient by the name of Shainal Mukhtar at the said hospital on Sept 30, 2019.
The patient was brought in by three prison wardens at 6.27pm on the said day, where the former had a fit at the Kota Belud prison around 6pm. The initial history from the officer was that the patient is a detainee for substance abuse (syabu), according to Dr Rahimah.
The witness said when she treated the patient, he was aggressive and given sedatives before starting the treatment. Shainal’s blood test results showed he had viral meningitis.
Dr Rahimah said she decided to send Shainal to the emergency unit of Queen Elizabeth 1 Hospital (QEH) Kota Kinabalu for further investigation because
the patient needed to be treated
by a specialist.
She added that she did not notice any injury or bruising on any part of his body.
On trial were prison inspector Dzulfikri Mohd Safri, 28, and wardens Barry Jipmon, 30, Farizan Mokri, 40, Mohd Saiful Saidin, 34, Amran Yasik, 25, Ab Mutalib @ Talib Abd Rasul, 40, Zerry Maidin, 33, Tomy Momoh, 36, Shahryll Nazry Wan Sofian, 25, and Muhammad Fazi Lakui, 32.
They were all jointly accused of murdering one Shainal Mukhtar, 36, in cell number 11, Gemilang Block, at Kota Kinabalu Central Prison, Jalan Kepayan near here at 4.20pm, between Oct 2 and Oct 4, 2019.
The 10 accused had on Aug 24, 2020 claimed trial to the charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code carries a death penalty on conviction. Testifying further, Dr Rahimah said she prepared two reports for the QEH Emergency Unit and a formal report for a case involving medicolegal.
The witness stated in the report that Shainal had a seizure based on an interview and blood test and that the cause of the seizure was viral meningitis. In the history column of the initial report, she stated that Shainal experienced altered behaviour in Kota Belud prison.
The witness also stated in her formal report on the differential diagnosis of the patient which was acute psychosis secondary such as aggression.
“The acute psychosis secondary (aggression) was due to substance abuse like syabu,” she said.
Her report to the Emergency Department stated that the patient had no obvious laceration or open wound, no bruising and there was minimal rash over his chest.
The witness also testified that he had been vomiting three days prior and the following the blood test results, she suspected that the incident was most likely caused by the said infection.
To another question, Rahimah testified that the parameter readings on the inmate’s white blood cells were not normal which indicated that there was infection.
Apart from that, the inmate’s electrocardiogram (EGC) was also not normal as Shainal’s palpitations were fast but still regular and good.
“The cause of his fast palpitations may be due to the infection or his aggressiveness when brought to the hospital,” Rahimah said.
To another question, Rahimah explained that Shainal’s white blood cell reading was 21.9 while the normal reading is five.
To another question, Rahimah testified that Shainal’s condition was not chronic but he was urgently in need of referral treatment and medication from a hospital with specialists.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Nur Faezah Jafry and Mas Izzaty Lokman appeared for the prosecution.
Counsel PJ Perira and Dominic Chew represented Dzulfikri, Farizan, Saiful, Mutalib and Zerry while counsel Hairul Vaiyron Othman defended Barry, Amran, Tommy, Shahryll and Fazi.
