Man gets eight years, one lash for causing hurt and robbery

KOTA KINABALU: A 26year-old man was sentenced to eight years’ jail plus a stroke of rattan by the Sessions Court here yesterday for causing hurt to man while committing robbery.

Judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim imposed the sentence on Muhammad Nurfazrie Ashraf Norman after he pleaded guilty to the offence, yesterday.

He had committed the offence with another person who is still at large, against a 25-year-old man and robbed a bag containing keys of a convenience shop, house keys, motorcycle key and road tax.

The offence took place in front of the convenience shop at Taman Limauan in Kinarut, Papar at 10.40pm on February 8

Muhammad Nurfazrie was convicted upon his guilty plea, under Section 394 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and liable to a fine or whipping.

The facts of the case stated that the victim, who is a supervisor at the convenience shop, was on his motorcycle and was about to go home after closing the shop.

Two men on a motorcycle approached him quietly from behind and the pillion rider, who alighted from the motorcycle, snatched the victim’s motorcycle key. The pillion rider, who was later known as the accused, also demanded money and punched the victim on his face and kicked him on the stomach when the victim asked for his motorcycle key back.

As the victim fell on the ground, the accused snatched the victim’s bag which was fastened on his stomach, and fled the scene.

The victim lodged a police report thereafter.

In mitigation, Muhammad Nurfazrie, who was represented by counsel Mohd Al-Hafiz Mohd Lokman under the National Legal Aid Foundation, prayed for a lenient sentence.

Mohd Al-Hafiz said the accused felt remorseful for what he had done.

The accused, who worked as a hotel steward, said he had to support his family by giving half of his salary to them.

However, deputy public prosecutor Megat Mahathir Megat Tharih Affendy urged for a deterrent sentence to be imposed against the accused, taking into account the rampancy and seriousness of the offence.

The court also ordered Muhammad Nurfazrie to serve the jail sentence from his date of arrest on February 12.