2007 08: Shamed by guilt, teen takes own life

NST Online. Frontpage. 13/8/07

MIRI: It was a shame he apparently could not face.

Despondent and ashamed that he had been found guilty, together with four friends, of a petty crime they had committed in June, a Form Two student of a school in Ulu Baram took his own life on Saturday.

He took his uncle’s shotgun, pressed his face against the muzzle and used his toe to press the trigger until the gun fired.

The 14-year-old had been found guilty together with his friends of breaking into a neighbour’s house and stealing some jewellery some time ago but had been released on bail pending sentencing.

The court was supposed to hear a probation report which was to have been filed on Sept 4.

It is understood that the prospect of having to serve time in a reform school had been weighing heavily on the boy’s mind.

Baram police chief DSP Jonathan Jalin said police had classified the case as sudden death.

He said the boy had left a note for his parents explaining his actions before going to a hut which was used as an iron foundry by the residents of the longhouse where he lived.

There, at 11am, he shot himself.

"Some longhouse residents heard the sound of a gunshot coming from the hut by the river not far from the longhouse and when they went to investigate, found the youth dead inside," said Jalin.

The youth’s body was sent to the Miri Hospital and a post-mortem is to be conducted today.

Bakong is about 80km from Miri.