SINGAPORE: His love for her prompted Muhammad Nasir Abdul Aziz to kill his lover's husband.

But four months later, the whirlwind romance turned sour and the angry 17-year-old felt betrayed and had "thoughts and urges to physically hurt" his lover Aniza Essa.

Speaking to a psychiatrist later, Muhammad Nasir, said he would "let God punish her" instead.

The couple had planned to disguise the killing so it could seem as if it had been carried out by an unknown person and to keep it a secret between themselves. Aniza, however, confessed to the police about the crime.

In the early morning of July 1 last year, Muhammad Nasir attacked Aniza's husband, Mr Manap Sarlip, outside the lift lobby of their Whampoa Road flat.

On Monday, Muhammad Nasir pleaded guilty to murder in the High Court. His lawyer, Mr Subhas Anandan, told reporters that this case was unique as it was the first time that the court had accepted a plea of guilt for a capital charge. The court can reject an accused person's plea of guilt.

Muhammad Nasir will escape the mandatory death penalty as he was under 18 at the time of the murder. Instead, he faces an indefinite stay behind bars, as underaged offenders convicted of capital offences are detained until they are granted clemency by the President.

Last week, Aniza, 25, was sentenced to nine years in jail for abetting the murder of her husband. The prosecution, who argued for Aniza to be jailed for life, has appealed against her sentence.

Muhammad Nasir and Aniza became intimate in March last year while working at a pub. Two months later, Mr Manap discovered the affair and frequent quarrels erupted between him and Aniza.

Aniza told her young lover that she wanted her husband killed and that a friend was willing to do the job in return for her hand in marriage. Not wanting to lose his lover, Muhammad Nasir decided to kill Mr Manap and marry Aniza.

Even though he knew it was wrong to kill Mr Manap, Muhammad Nasir "felt pressured" by Aniza's repeated reminders, according to a report by consultant child psychiatrist, Dr Parvathy Pathy.

After two aborted attempts, Muhammad Nasir returned for a third time. The teen decided not to follow through with his plan to kill Mr Manap, but as he was putting his knife back into his bag, the lift door opened and the two met.

Thinking that Mr Manap would not "keep quiet" having seen him hold a knife, the teen felt he had "no choice but to act". Muhammad Nasir stabbed Mr Manap nine times, killing him.

Dr Pathy, who examined the accused after his arrest, however, said Muhammad Nasir was "not of unsound mind" at the time of the offence.


- TODAY/so