KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — A Malaysian student in the United Kingdom, who put her newborn baby in a cereal box in March and hid the box in a suitcase, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years.
Jia Xin Teo, 22, was sentenced yesterday at Warwick Crown Court following her murder conviction, showed 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, who arrived in the UK earlier this year to attend Coventry University, concealed her pregnancy and gave birth on March 4.
She then put her newborn in a cereal box, which she sealed in a plastic bag and stored in a suitcase.
Police discovered the baby girl two days later, by which time the infant was dead.
Teo denied murdering her baby, claiming she had been hearing voices telling her to kill the child. However, the jury rejected her defence and convicted her of murder.
CPS’ James Leslie Francis said: “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.”
— Bernama
