KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 – A Malaysian student in the United Kingdom (UK), who placed her newborn baby in a cereal box shortly after birth in March this year and concealed the box in a suitcase, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 17 years.
Jia Xin Teo, 22, was sentenced on Friday (Oct 25) at Warwick Crown Court following her murder conviction, according to the latest update on the website of the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Earlier, Bernama reported the court had found her guilty on Thursday.
Teo, a resident of Coventry who arrived in the UK earlier this year to attend Coventry University, concealed her pregnancy and gave birth on March 4.
She then placed her newborn in a cereal box, which she sealed in a plastic bag and stored in a suitcase.
Police discovered the baby two days later, by which time the infant had already passed away.
Teo denied murdering her baby, claiming she had been hearing voices instructing her to kill the child. However, the jury rejected her defence and convicted her of murder.
James Leslie Francis of the CPS commented: “Jia Xin Teo hid her pregnancy from everyone she knew and arrived in the UK knowing she was likely to give birth here.
“She had opportunities to seek help but instead chose secrecy, even going so far as to lie to those close to her, to healthcare providers, and to police.”
Francis added, “Baby Teo was alive after birth and could have survived, but Jia Xin Teo made the decision to place her inside a cereal box, knowing that it would kill her.”
