Man jailed for criminal trespass

KUCHING: A magistrates’ court here yesterday sentenced a man to two months behind bars for criminal trespass in a house two weeks ago. The custodial sentence will take effect from the date of the arrest.

Kepeli Razeli, 33, appeared before Magistrate Zulhairil Sulaiman, who imposed the sentence after convicting him on his own guilty plea under Section 448 of the Penal Code.

He admitted to having intruded on a house at Matang new resettlement scheme here on Feb 11 around 4.40pm.

According to the facts of the case, the daughter of the house owner heard a suspicious noise coming from the toilet, and upon checking, found the accused trying to escape after having gained entry through the kitchen. She alerted the police who arrived shortly and arrested the accused.

In an unrelated case, a jobless man was placed on a two- day remand order to assist with the police investigation of vehicle theft cases.

The 42-year- old suspect was produced before Magistrate Zubaidah Sharkawi, who allowed for the application to place him in the authority’s custody until tomorrow ( Saturday). The court was told that the suspect had been remanded six times over the last 21 days in connection with other similar cases, and his lawyer argued that further detention would be illegal.

The magistrate however said that yesterday’s remand application was only for a case involving a Mitsubishi Pajero, which was reported missing from a parking space in front of a medical centre at Jalan Setia Raja.

Its owner lodged a police report after discovered the vehicle was missing around 11pm on Dec 29 last year. The suspect was picked up together with another individual – who was later released – on Feb 12 at the Kuching High Court Complex.