A senior citizen was jailed nine years by the Shah Alam High Court today for strangling his wife after catching her in an indecent act with a Bangladeshi two years ago.

Judicial Commissioner Badariah Sahamid ordered the sentence on K Alagan, 60, a farm worker, to run from the date of his arrest on Sept 23, 2008.

Alagan pleaded guilty to culpable homicide not amounting to murder by causing the death of S Ellammal, 39, behind their house in Ladang Lima Belas, SKC Gedangsa, Hulu Selangor, betweeb 2am and 7am on Sept 23.

The court was told that Alagan and his wife were sleeping in the living room at about midnight when he suddenly awoke and found his wife outside the house with a man at about 2am.

He quarrelled with Ellammal, closed her mouth and strangled her with his hands until she fell onto the five-foot way behind the house.

Thinking that she had fainted, he went back to sleep but when he woke up, he found her dead.

A post-mortem by the Kuala Kubu Baharu Hospital where her body was sent found that she had died of manual strangulation.

Alagan's counsel, Jagdish Kaur, pleaded for leniency saying that Alagan acted the way he did because he had seen his wife committing an indecent act with a Bangladeshi.

"The Bangladeshi put on his pants and fled upon seeing Alagan while Ellammal was naked on the floor.

"They quarrelled and Ellammal verbally abused Alagan, causing the latter to close her mouth and hold her neck to shut her up," he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Zainal Azwar Kamaruddin asked for a deterrent sentence in view of the seriousness of the offence and in the public interest.

“Although he has pleaded guilty, it does not mean that the sentence should be lightened in view of the seriousness of the offence and in the public interest.

"The accused’s action is unforgiveable because a life has been lost, that of his own wife who should have been protected by her husband,” he said.

- Bernama