A former bus driver escaped the hangman’s noose after the Federal Court today commuted the death sentence to a maximum of 40 years in jail and 12 strokes of the cane for his girlfriend’s murder seven years ago.

A panel of three judges consisting of Chief Judge of Malaya Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Abu Bakar Jais made the ruling after using their discretion to substitute the death sentence on M Siva Sangker, 39, with imprisonment.

This followed the...