Duo get 11 years and two strokes for carjacking

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KOTA KINABALU: Two men were put behind bars for 11 years and ordered to be given two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court yesterday for wielding a machete while robbing a woman of her car worth RM45,000.

Hassan (fourth left) and Armudi (third left).

Judge Azreena Aziz sentenced Hassan Miong and Armudi Arsalin, both 34, after they pleaded guilty to committing the offence in front of the victim’s residence at Taman Iramanis in Luyang at 8.20pm on June 19 last year.

The offence under Section 395 of the Penal Code carries an imprisonment of up to 20 years and liable to whipping upon conviction.

Azreena also ordered both the accused to be placed under police supervision for two years after serving their sentence.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Dominic Chew Ban Huat told the court that the 25-year-old victim lodged a police report on June 19 at 9.42pm.

The report stated that after shutting the gate at her residence, the accused alighted from a black Iswara Aeroback car and stopped her from entering her silver Vios Toyota car. They then entered the victim’s car and drove it away.

Also in the victim’s car was a Sony Ericson K550I hand phone, a purse containing her MyKad, a driver’s license, ATM card, three credit cards, receipts, cash and some unidentified items from her company.

Chew said both the accused were arrested on July 23, last year, and were successfully identified by the victim during an identification parade the following month.

He said the seven minutes during the offence period and a brightly lit place assisted her in the positive identification of Hassan and Armudi.

Chew further revealed that the victim was able to provide a proper description of both of the accused, stating that a V-neck T-shirt revealed a tattoo on Hassan’s chest and described Armudi as a tall and tanned man.

In pleading for a lenient sentence, both the accused revealed that they had repented and asked for the sentence to be served from July 25, last year, the date of incarceration.

Armudi further told the court that he had learned more about his religion and is closer to God since his incarceration. He also promised not to repeat the offence in the future.

In reply, Chew asked for a deterrent sentence on the grounds that the offence was committed using a dangerous weapon and the victim, in fear, has shifted to a high-rise condominium as a result of the incidence.

He also stressed that both Hassan and Armudi had previous criminal records of 10 and three respectively.

In an unrelated case, the public helped to detain Alban Nordin who snatched the hand phone of a teenage girl and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by the same court.

The court imposed the sentence on him after he pleaded guilty to the offence committed on August 2 at 10.10am in Asia City.

The offence, under Section 392 of the same code, carries an imprisonment term of up to 14 years and liable to a fine or whipping upon conviction.

The victim was walking towards Centre Point Sabah Shopping Mall when Alban, a restaurant waiter, grabbed her RM800 Sony Ericsson phone from her. The public came to her rescue after hearing her scream for help and he was arrested on the same day.

Alban, in pleading for a lenient sentence, told the court that he had to support three children and a pregnant wife who is currently living in a rented house.

In reply, DPP Aida Jaafar Mad Ariff pushed for a deterrent sentence taking into account that the offence was committed in a public place.