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May 21, 2010
Jailed for indignity to corpse
By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent
A MAN who strangled and slapped a corpse across the cheek at a funeral of his neighbour was jailed by a district court on Friday. Muhamad-Ali Mahmod, 35, unemployed, is believed to be the first person to be convicted of offering indignity to a human corpse. He was given 14 weeks for the offence, which is punishable with up to three years and/or a fine, at Tampines on March 8.
He was jailed 16 weeks for stealing a $150 mobile phone from a polytechnic student at the Sports Complex of Temasek Polytechnic on Oct 23 last year, and 14 weeks for inhaling toluene on March 11. The court heard that Muhamad-Ali's 72-year-old neighbour held some prayers at the funeral of his late son in the living room. At about 4pm, Muhamad-Ali entered the flat and strangled and slapped the corpse. A relative immediately told him to leave and he did so. The deceased's father felt insulted by the act.
District Judge Sarjit Singh ordered the theft and inhalant abuse sentences to run consecutively, making a total of 30 weeks. Muhamad-Ali has convictions for, among others, drug-related offences, theft of vehicle, carnal connection and misuse of intoxicating substances. He told the court that he would seek his neighbour's forgiveness after his release, and that he did it while he was under the influence of inhalant.
