KOTA KINABALU: The Sessions Court here yesterday sentenced four local men to eight years’ jail plus two strokes of the cane for a joint charge of armed gang robbery.
Judge Ismail Brahim convicted Joedir Johari, 35, Mohd Jay Jay Rodjit, 30, Noor Azmil Kaling, 35, and Ghazali Wong Abdullah, 46, after finding them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The four accused had on Nov 18, 2012, and an accomplice who is still at large robbed Theng Hock Sing, 28, of a laptop, sling bag, documents and money in a rented room in Membakut Jaya, Beaufort while threatening the victim with a ‘samurai sword’.
The charge stipulated under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code provides for up to 20 years’ imprisonment and liable to whipping on conviction.
The court, however, granted a stay of execution for all the accused, pending an appeal to the High Court.
In mitigating for leniency, counsel Datuk Norbert Chin for all the four accused said they had not committed a serious offence prior to this although they were convicted for drug-taking offences.
He also said that all the accused were remorseful over their action and they were married with families to support.
In reply, deputy public prosecutor Nartiah F Mirchelle Sambatan pressed for an appropriate sentence considering the seriousness of the offence which involved a dangerous weapon.
She further told the court that the victim faced trauma and fear because of the crime committed against him in addition to the loss of his valuables.
The court also extended bail for all four accused, pending disposal of their case.
The prosecution had called a total of ten witnesses during trial while the defence had called four.