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12 September 2012 | last updated at 08:50AM

Man gets 7 years' jail for causing sister-in-law's death

SHAH ALAM: A construction worker who had beaten his sister-in-law to death and later buried her in cement behind his house, was sentenced to seven years' jail by the High Court yesterday.

Judge Datuk Abdul Alim Abdullah passed the sentence on S. Muniandy, 44, after he pleaded guilty to committing the offence at a house in Taman Seri Selayang, Batu Caves, between Aug 25 and Sept 2, 2009.

He was initially charged with murdering Vijayah, 49, and had claimed trial.

He changed his plea after the prosecution offered him a reduced charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

Based on the post-mortem report, Vijayah had died due to blunt force trauma to her face, neck and chest.

According to the facts, Vijayah's decomposed body was found near a staircase and covered with cement.

Muniandy's wife and her son had told the police that they saw Muniandy beat Vijayah up and later buried her under the cement.

Vijayah had been staying with the family for eight months prior to the incident.

Deputy public prosecutor Khairul Fikrie Ahmad Zubaidi said as the head of his family, Muniandy should have protected his family members.

"The victim was a woman and at her age, surely she could not fight him. Her injuries revealed that she had been beaten a few times before."