MIRI: A prison inmate was sentenced to 10 months’ jail and fined RM4,000 in default five months’ jail by a magistrate’s court here for stealing a woman’s handbag.
Magistrate Zuraini Ali Musa passed the sentence after considering several factors including the inmate’s guilty plea, the seriousness of the offence, public interest and the loss suffered by the victim.
Mohd Harpis Ajis, 28, from Kampung Lereng Bukit was accused of stealing a handbag containing various personal documents belonging to Rose Tarang Lah.
He committed the offence at 10.19pm on Nov 4 last year at a laundry outlet in Pujut.
For the offence, he was charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term up to seven years or fine or both upon conviction.
Mohd Harpis pleaded for leniency and requested for the sentence to run concurrently with another jail sentence which he is currently serving for house break-in and theft.
Insp Mohd Khairi Mohd Noor prosecuted while the accused was not represented.