Killer may serve out his time in Turkey
A HIGH Court judge yesterday postponed sentencing a Turkish seaman guilty of manslaughter to find out whether he could serve his sentence in his homeland.
Mr Justice Keith noted that while Turkey was a signatory to the Convention of Transfer of Sentenced Persons, he was under no obligation to accept the transfer of Kelleci Izzet, 32, who suffers a mental disorder.
The ultimate of the penalty he is going to impose depend on whether Turkey is willing to take him back and put him in a secured hospital, said the judge.
He said the penalty he would impose would depend on whether Turkey was willing to take Izzet back and put him in a secure hospital.
Izzet, who was represented by Michael Lunn, had denied murdering Ozkan Suat, 29, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Senior Crown counsel Edward Brook had told the court that the killing took place on January 9 last year on board the container vessel Petra I, which was berthed at Kwai Chung container terminal.
Izzet had been drinking and when he was teased by Suat about his prostitute girlfriend, he picked up a knife and stabbed the victim to death in a frenzy.
The court heard that Izzet suffered was found suffering from a mental disorder. Psychiatrists did not recommend a hospital order in Hong Kong because of language and cultural barriers.
Without the recommendation, the judge could not make such an order.
, hence the enquiry of the possibility of Izzet serving his term in his homeland.
Under the circumstances, Mr Justice Keith said he would defer sentencing to enable an inquiry through diplomatic channels to find out: If the court passed a jail term on Izzet, would Turkey take him back; Whether his detention in a hospital would be possible; and, Whether after his sentence had been served he could still be detained as a patient if the doctor in Turkey thought it appropriate.
While Izzet was found suffering from a mental disorder, psychiatrists did not recommend a hospital order in Hong Kong because of language and cultural barriers.
Without the recommendation, the judge would not be able to make such an order, hence the enquiry of the possibility of Izzet serving his term in his homeland.
