Malaysia Woman Who Stabbed Boyfriend 28 Times After S*x Demand Gets 12-Year Jail Term

A Malaysian court has nearly doubled the jail sentence of a woman who stabbed her boyfriend to death after he allegedly demanded s*x, ruling that the original sentencing court had been “over-sympathetic” towards her.

The Court of Appeal increased the prison sentence of the woman, identified only as Shy to protect her identity, from six and a half years to 12 years. The Johor Bahru High Court had imposed the original sentence after she pleaded guilty to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, scmp reported on Tuesday.

Woman Stabbed Boyfriend 28 Times After S*x Demand

Shy was 19 when the incident occurred. According to court papers, she and her 29-year-old boyfriend checked into a hotel near Jalan Austin Heights in Johor Bahru on September 20, 2022. The couple had been in a relationship for around a year. Singapore Man Filmed Couples Having S*x To Extort Them, Gets Jail and Caning.

Inside the hotel room, the man allegedly asked Shy for s*x. She refused, telling him that she was menstruating. The boyfriend then pulled out a knife and threatened her.

Shy fought to take the weapon away from him. During the struggle, she stabbed him multiple times in the chest. An autopsy later found 28 stab wounds on his body.

She surrendered to authorities and was initially charged with murder. However, following representations made by her lawyer, the charge was later amended to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Shy pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. The prosecution subsequently appealed, arguing that the sentence was inadequate given the circumstances of the killing. Nikitha Godishala Murder: ‘Arrest Is a Beginning, Not the End,’ Parents Demand Answers From US Authorities.

Why Did Malaysian Court Increase Her Sentence?

The Court of Appeal agreed with the prosecution and found that the original sentence failed to adequately reflect the seriousness of the offence.

Evrol Mariette Peters, one of the three judges on the appellate panel, said the High Court had placed excessive emphasis on Shy's age while failing to give sufficient weight to the gravity of her actions.

Peters also criticised the High Court for treating Shy's loss of young offender status as a mitigating factor. Shy was 22 when she was convicted, by which point she had exceeded the statutory age limit of 21.

The appellate court also rejected the suggestion that the killing could be viewed as the result of a single impulsive act.

“This was not a single impulsive stab. The multiple injuries demonstrate a sustained violent attack,” Peters said.

Court Weighs Youth, Guilty Plea And Psychiatric Condition

The appellate court acknowledged several mitigating factors, including Shy's young age, guilty plea, remorse, lack of previous convictions and psychiatric condition.

However, Peters said these factors had to be weighed against the circumstances of the killing, including the 28 injuries, the use of a knife, the targeting of the chest and the death of the victim.

“She is young, remorseful and traumatised, and for that, she deserves leniency. But she owes a debt, not to Shylock, but to the memory of the deceased and his grieving family,” the judge said, referring to a character in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

The Court of Appeal ruled that a 12-year prison sentence was proportionate and necessary in the public interest. The sentence will be calculated from the date of Shy's arrest.

The maximum sentence for culpable homicide is 30 years.

Malaysia Boyfriend Killing Case: What The Court Said

The ruling highlights the distinction between mitigating circumstances and the seriousness of an offence. While the court recognised Shy's age, remorse and personal circumstances, it held that these factors could not outweigh the severity of the attack and the death of the victim.

The prosecution's successful appeal means Shy will now serve 12 years in prison instead of the six and a half years originally ordered by the Johor Bahru High Court.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2026 04:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).