KOTA KINABALU: Two men were jailed seven years for breaking into a house belonging to a judge here and stealing various personal items valued at RM10,000.
Sessions Court judge Azreena Aziz imposed the sentence on Ruzaihardy Lim Lu Kam, 25, and Azmeer Shem, 26, after they pleaded guilty to a joint charge under Section 457 of the Penal Code, yesterday.
The indictment provides for a jail term of up to 14 years and subsequent offences will be liable to a fine or whipping, upon conviction.
They had committed the offence at a house in Taman Bakti Ikhlas Kalansanan, Inanam at 1.30pm on January 4 and stole five wristwatches, a laptop, a camera, five brooches, nine rings, a necklace, a bag and two pairs of shoes.
The court also ordered the accused to serve their jail sentences starting from the day of arrest.
In mitigation, counsel Syaiful Sufiyyan Sidin, who represented both accused, told the court that both accused came from families facing hardship.
He also said that Azmeer left his education since primary school to help support the family while Ruzaihardy worked as a labourer to support his family, including a wife and child.
Therefore, he urged the court to impose a lenient sentence and give both accused the opportunity to repent.
Meanwhile, the prosecution urged the court for a deterrent sentence to deter other would-be offenders and to send a strong message to society that the court viewed such offence very seriously.
The prosecution also said that the accused had committed the offence during daylight and some of the stolen items were not recovered.
Facts of the case stated that the complainant had left her home at 9am on January 4 and went outstation in Kudat.
She came home on the same day at 8.30pm and found that the door could not be opened and asked for help from her neighbour. She managed to enter her house through a back door.
She then found the house in a mess and a padlock on a grill at the back door of the house was cut. She lodged a police report on the incident.
Investigation by the police revealed that a fingerprint was found on a laptop belonging to the complainant which was found at one of the accused’s house.