PETALING JAYA: An unemployed man was charged in the Kota Bharu sessions court today with stabbing his wife and attacking his mother-in-law with a knife at a house in Ketereh last week.
Shahrul Shahrizal Che Shaari, 44, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read separately before judges Zulkifli Ablah and Nik Habri Muhamad, Harian Metro reported.
Shahrul is accused of stabbing Zulaiha Mat Zain, 44, causing grievous injuries, at a house behind SMK Kadok in Ketereh around 8.30pm last Monday.
The charge was framed under Section 326 of the Penal Code, which provides for up to 20 years in prison and a fine or whipping, upon conviction.
It was also read with Section 326A, which doubles the jail term for hurt caused by a spouse.
Shahrul is also charged with hurting Paridah Ismail, 78, with a knife at the same location and time. The charge under Section 324 of the Penal Code is punishable by a maximum 10 years in prison, a fine or whipping, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutors Kamarul Hasyime Rosli and Siti Arina Razali prosecuted while Shahrul was represented by Zainal Abidin Mustaffa.
The family of the victims appointed lawyers Nik Saiful Adli Burhan and Che Redzuan Jihad to hold a watching brief.
Zainal asked the court to refer his client to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation, saying Shahrul spoke about wanting to take his life two weeks before the incident.
The court ordered Shahrul referred to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak for a month to undergo psychiatric evaluation and fixed Nov 18 for mention.