A 36-year-old engineer who killed his girlfriend six years ago on Valentine’s Day, was spared the gallows when the Federal Court ruled he was of unsound mind at the time.

Court of Appeal president Justice Ahmad Ma'arop said the defence managed to prove on the balance of probabilities under Section 84 of the Penal Code that Cheong Teik Keon was of unsound mind.

Cheong was found guilty by the George Town High Court in 2016 and sentenced to death for the murder of Tan Ching Chin in Seberang Prai, Penang at 8.40am on Feb 14, 2013.

He had stabbed Tan three times and then tried to kill himself by stabbing himself four times.