KUCHING: A 23-year-old man was sentenced a total of three weeks’ jail and fined RM2,000 for possessing a folding knife and trespassing into the compound of the Head of State.
The accused Faizal Jini from Taman Sourabaya Indah in Petra Jaya decided to plead guilty before Magistrate Gerald Empaling Donald at the defence stage yesterday.
For the first charge, Faizal was sentenced to two weeks in jail and fined RM1,000, in default two months’ jail for possessing an
8-inch long folding knife found in his pocket at Sri Impian, Jalan Matang/ Telaga Air (Head of State’s house) at about 1am on July 7.
He was convicted of a charge under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive, Explosive, Substance of Dangerous Weapon Act 1958.
For the second charge, he received a week’s imprisonment and a RM1,000 fine in default two months’ jail for criminal trespassing of the house at the same time and date, and was convicted of a charge under Section 447 of the Penal Code.
In passing sentence, Magistrate Gerald said the court had considered the accused’s mitigation and guilty plea.
“However, the court also has to consider that much time had been wasted on the trial proceeding for a period of four days (for the prosecution) with one witness called for the defence before the accused decided to plead guilty at this very late stage.
“This court notes that the accused is a youthful offender and is remorseful.
“DPP submission of him being possessed by demons was not a mitigating factor.
“Furthermore, the accused was found trespassing and in possession of dangerous weapon in the vicinity of the house of the Governor (‘number one man in Sarawak’).
“As such, in order to deter the accused and other would-be offenders from committing the offence again in the future, the court will have to impose an appropriate sentence,” Gerald said before handing down the decision, and ordered the custodial imprisonment to take effect from the date of his remand order and to run consecutively.
DPP Samira Khalili and counsel Lim Lian Kee prosecuted.
In an unrelated case, two policemen walked free from the magistrates’ court yesterday after they were discharged and acquitted of giving false information.
Magistrate Syafiza Abdul Razak Tready ruled that the defence had raised reasonable doubt in the case.
Mahdili and Murat, stationed at Samarahan, allegedly gave false information to another policeman recording a statement on a motorbike theft.
The information was said to be wrongly given during the investigation of the case at Samarahan Police Station at about 2.16pm on March 25 last year.
DPP Nur Nisla Abdul Latif prosecuted while Abdul Rahman Mohd Hazmi defended Mahdili and Murat.