Duo jailed for stealing fishing reels

KOTA KINABALU: Two unemployed men, in their fifties, were each jailed for one month by the Magistrate's Court here yesterday for stealing two fishing reels from a shop, which they claimed they needed to fish in order to survive.

Magistrate Cindy Mc Juce Balitus imposed the sentence on Vun Chau Lin and Hoi Kui Ngen after they both pleaded guilty to stealing the items from a shop at Inanam Capital at Jalan Nountun in Inanam on September 18.

Both were convicted under Section 380, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to 10 years or a fine, upon conviction.

Prosecuting officer, Inspector Albert Basiri, told the court that a closed circuit television (CCTV) recording in the shop showed the two accused stealing the fishing reels on September 18. Both of the accused were arrested the next day and all the stolen items were recovered.

Investigation revealed that they resorted to stealing the fishing reels for their own use.

In mitigation, counsel Azhier Farhan Arisin, representing the two accused, urged court to impose a lenient sentence on his clients, explaining that his clients stole the fishing reels to fish in order to survive that day. Azhier also said that the duo were jobless and their only activity at home was gardening.