Jobless man sentenced to 31 years’ jail, rotan for rape

PETRA JAYA: An unemployed man was sentenced by the Sessions Court yesterday to 31 years’ jail and 18 strokes of the rotan for raping and inserting pieces of cut RM20 into the anus of a salesgirl early last year.

Judge Timothy Finlayson Joel meted out the sentence to Jessel Sunang, 33, after he changed his plea to guilty when the case came up for hearing.

Jessel, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty to five counts of raping the victim in a room in a house at Taman Seng Goon, Kuching, between Jan 6 and Jan 7 last year.

The accused, who was clad in a dark, long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of jeans, also admitted inserting cut pieces of RM20 into the anus of the victim without her consent at the same venue about 7pm on Jan 6.

Jessel also pleaded guilty to forcing the victim to perform oral sex on him at the same house between 7pm and 10.15pm on Jan 6 and having in his possession an offensive weapon, a knife, at the Kuching police headquarters about 4pm on Jan 7.

In mitigation, Jessel told the court that he was remorseful for his action and asked the court to grant him a chance to turn over a new leaf.

“My father is working as a farmer and he is already old. My mother passed away in April this year. I have three siblings, but my elder brother succumbed to cancer last year while my sister is disabled,” he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Yong Ann Nee contended that the court should impose the full extent of the law against the accused considering the victim was only 20 when the incident took place.

She urged the court to deliver a punishment befitting the seriousness of the offence committed by the accused, which she described as a crime of violence.

“The victim was drugged. She was given pills. She was threatened at knifepoint. The series of incidents would have been painful for the victim, who also has to bear the stigma that she is a victim of rape.

“The court should take into consideration public interest, which demands severe punishment meted out for crimes involving violence and sexual offences,” she said.

Timothy, when delivering judgment, said the court took into consideration the mitigation of the accused, the seriousness of the offences and the interest of the public.

“There was the use of threat and force, which lead to submission by the victim. The court also notes that there is trauma and stigma arising from this incident suffered by the victim,” he said.

Timothy later sentenced Jessel to jail terms of between 12 and 17 years, as well as two strokes of the rotan for each of the rape charges. The jail terms are to run concurrently.

He also sentenced Jessel to six years’ jail and three strokes of the rotan for inserting the cut RM20 into the victim’s anus, six years’ jail and three strokes for oral sex, and two years’ jail and two strokes for possession of the knife.

Timothy ordered the sentences to run consecutively after Jessel completes his sentence for the rape charges.