Five Young Thieves Get Cane, Jail
By Rol Ezam

Bandar Seri Begawan - Five local youngsters, aged 16 to 18, were sentenced to imprisonment with strokes of the cane while another two, aged 22 and 19, will only serve imprisonment, imposed by the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

All the sentences were to run with effect from yesterday.

The defendants were Wira Awang Hj Daud, 22, Md Adib Judin, 18, Abu Bakar Idris, 16, Md Shahiful Johardy Yussof, 19, Muhaimin Hj Abd Hamid, 18, Md Hairul Hj Yakob/ Asri, 18, and RCT SLD Mohd Amirul Azme Brahim, 18.

They were caught by the CID from Berakas Police District led by DCO Assistant Superintendent Yakub bin Ismail who had shown a very good job in curbing and bringing the defendants to court.

Wira, facing two charges, was sentenced to 2 months' imprisonment, Md Adib (15 charges) received 11 months and 4 weeks with 4 strokes, Abu Bakar (3 charges) to 2 months with 2 strokes, Md Shahiful (5 charges) to 4 months and 2 weeks, Muhaimin (9 charges) to 7 months with 2 strokes, Md Hairul (4 charges) to 2 months and 2 weeks with 2 strokes and Md Amirul (3 charges) - 2 months and 2 strokes.

Before passing the sentences yesterday, the presiding Magistrate, Hj Abdullah Soefri DSP Hj Abidin, took into his consideration that all the defendants had pleaded guilty to the charge, which saved the valuable time of the court and the prosecution.

The magistrate also said that during the investigations, all of them had given full co-operation to the police investigation officers as well as looking into their ages, which can be considered as mitigating factors.

The court also looked into the aggravating factors for the defendants.

He pointed out that all the defendants were very lucky because the prosecution, represented by Pg Isa Pg Hj Aliuddin, who stood on for the Public Prosecutor, did not charge them under a higher section which carries a heavier sentence of imprisonment as well as strokes of the rattan.

He said the prosecution only charged them with section 427 of the Penal Code (Cap 22), under which the penalty of imprisonment may be extended to 5 years with whipping of not less than 2 strokes.

Meanwhile, if they were charged under section 457 of the Penal Code, they shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years and with whipping, and if the offence intended to be committed is theft, the term of imprisonment may extend to 15 years, as pointed out by Pg Isa yesterday.

The magistrate also stressed that all the defendants had wasted the opportunity of a free education provided by the government and instead indulge in criminal activities.

Not only that, he said they also committed mischief by damaging government property (school), house and car owned by the public.

And the offence was full well premeditated, the magistrate said. As revealed in the charge, which was admitted by all the defendants to their respective charges, all the offences were committed between August last year to March this year in the early morning hours.

They had stolen several electronic items and accessories, luxury watches, big sums of monies and school magazines. They also committed mischief by causing wrongful damages to cars and to government school doors.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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