BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The 23-year-old local woman who pleaded guilty to charges of theft and endangering lives by dangerous driving was handed an imprisonment sentence of two years and two months yesterday, Borneo Bulletin reported.
Siti Murdiah Nur Majeedah’s offence was regarded as a brazen act of theft committed in broad daylight.
“I am hard pressed to consider this crime of opportunity as the defendant had clearly planned out the theft in renting a car during the period when the offence was committed and in presenting herself as a genuine purchaser for value in choosing gold jewelleries costing a little over 18k before snatching the stolen items,” Senior Magistrate Lailatul Zubaidah Hj Mohd Hussain said.
The call for a deterrent sentence was upheld in the public’s interest by the court considering the circumstances of the case.
“Businesses and in particular retail establishments must be assured of some level of security in conducting transactions with potential patrons and customers,” stated the court.
The court also assured that offenders who commit similarly will be dealt with appropriately so that offending behaviour is not encouraged.
The court also regarded the defendant’s act of endangering the lives of others in her attempt to escape arrest as an apparent sign of her disregard for the law.
The sentence of two years and two months is a result of a consecutive order by the court having regarded the offences as two separate transactions while considering mitigating factors of the case especially the defendant’s guilty plea.
The defendant had snatched $18,150 worth of gold jewellery from OKKY Jewellery in Delima while posing as a genuine buyer.
Items that have been recovered by the police were ordered by the court to be returned to their owner.
DPP Sharon Yeo prosecuted the case.