SIBU, July 28, 2026 — A burger seller has been sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of murdering a female café worker during a robbery in Sibu Jaya in February 2024.
The High Court in Sibu today found that the prosecution had successfully proven the murder charge against William Tinggi, 30, from Kapit, beyond reasonable doubt.
Judge Datuk Wong Siong Tung ruled that the accused had deliberately prepared himself with a kitchen knife, concealed his identity and entered the café before launching a violent attack on the victim, Angela Joseph, 25, who was unarmed at the time.
William was convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code for the murder of Angela on Feb 23, 2024.
In delivering the judgment, Judge Wong described the crime as a planned, cruel and inhumane act, where the victim was targeted for a small amount of money during the robbery.
The court heard that the accused had armed himself with a knife before entering the premises and attacked the victim multiple times, causing serious injuries, including wounds believed to have occurred while she attempted to defend herself.
The judge said although the court had considered factors such as the accused’s age, personal background and the absence of previous criminal convictions, those considerations could not outweigh the seriousness of the offence.
The court also found that the violence used during the incident went far beyond the original intention of committing robbery. The accused was also found to have failed to show genuine remorse or fully accept responsibility for his actions.
Judge Wong said the evidence showed that the accused had planned the robbery, disguised himself before entering the café and later attempted to hide his involvement in the crime.
“The accused equipped himself with a weapon, disguised himself before carrying out the attack, stabbed the victim repeatedly and took her life for a small amount of money,” the judge said in his ruling.
During the trial, Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Kenneth Netto argued that the accused had carefully prepared for the robbery by bringing a knife and hiding his identity before entering the café.
He told the court that closed-circuit television (CCTV) recordings, forensic evidence and witness testimonies formed a strong chain of evidence linking William to the murder.
Netto also rejected the accused’s claim that he only intended to frighten the victim and that the stabbing happened accidentally, describing the explanation as an excuse created later without support from objective evidence.
The prosecution highlighted that evidence including the victim’s statement before her death, DNA findings on the weapon, CCTV footage, medical reports and the accused’s actions after the incident clearly proved the offence.
The court concluded that only the maximum punishment allowed under the law could reflect the seriousness of the crime. William was therefore sentenced to death by hanging under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
The case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of violent crimes and the importance of maintaining public safety and justice for victims and their families.
