Wicked grandfather jailed, fined for abusing grandchild

0

Mijon (right) being led out of the courtroom after the sentencing yesterday.

KOTA KINABALU: A grandfather who pleaded guilty to throwing his two-year-old granddaughter to the floor, was put behind bars for two years and fined RM5,000, in default, seven months’ jail, by the Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Magistrate’s Herlina Muse imposed the sentence on Mijon Yusuf, 49, who admitted to a charge under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Child Act 2001 which is punishable by a fine of up to RM20,000, or a maximum 10 years’ jail, or both, upon conviction.

The local farmer had physically abused his grandchild by smashing her to the floor and mattress at an unnumbered house at Kampung Lobou 1 in Menggatal on July 7, resulting in the grandchild to have suffered injuries to her head, forehead and neck.

Prosecuting officer Inspector Syahrin Ali told the court that the complainant, who is the victim’s mother, lodged a report stating that while she was outside their house she heard of her daughter crying out loudly and later saw her brother taking her three other children out of the house since their father (the accused) had gone beserk.

Syahrin also said the complainant’s three children saw the accused beat their little sister (the victim) by smashing her to the floor and mattress.

Investigation revealed that the accused was in a drunken stupor when he committed the offence.

The accused was arrested the following day.

In pleading for a light sentence Mijon submitted that he is an old man earning a living as a farmer and if he was to be sentenced to jail no one would look after his crops.

When urging for a deterrent sentence, Syahrin submitted that the accused had committed a very serious crime which had caused trauma to the victim as well as to his other grandchildren.

Despite the accused being drunk at that time, it was no excuse for him to do what he did, and to get away lightly, Syahrin said.