Kota Kinabalu: A 27-year-old man, who sold eight planks of wood believed to be stolen for RM5 to buy food was sentenced to a month’s jail and fined RM50 or another jail.
Jafri Nasri pleaded guilty before Senior Assistant Registrar Abdurrahman Abrar Jarni, who sat as a magistrate, to selling the wood which he failed to account satisfactorily how he obtained them to Tipah Atoh in front of the Likas multipurpose hall at 4pm on Jan 9.
Jafri was charged under Section 22A(1) of the Minor Offences Ordinance which provides for a fine of up to RM100 or jail term of up to three months or both, on conviction.
The court heard from the prosecution that a complainant lodged a police report that his house which had been
unoccupied for two years in Kg Likas was broken into and several properties such as the ceiling wood and old furniture were missing.
Jafri was arrested and confessed to having sold the wood to Tipah for RM5, said Inspector Navind Kumar Vijayan.
Unrepresented, Jafri requested a lenient sentence by saying that he has no place to live and told the court that he stayed at the said house because it was empty.
When asked about his reason for selling the woods, Jafri replied that he wanted to buy food as he was staying there with his family.
The court ordered him to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on Jan 9.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old woman was charged with stealing from a church during Christmas Eve.
Noor Azmah Harun, who appeared before Abdurrahman virtually, was accused of stealing a handbag containing RM3,000 cash, jewellery, and a smartphone belonging to Latesia Letek at 9pm on Dec 24, 2021 at the Good Shepherd Church in Manggatal.
However, no plea was recorded from Noor who was charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to seven years or fine or both, on conviction.
Navind applied for a new mention date and proposed bail at RM5,000 in two sureties.
The court fixed Jan 31 for Noor’s plea to be taken in open court and released her on a bail of RM1,500 in two sureties.
In another court, a 29-year-old man was charged with trespassing into a government premises.
Datu Restim Mobin, who appeared before Magistrate Jessica Ombou via video conferencing, was accused of committing the offence at the men’s hostel block of the Sabah Malaysia Sports School in Manggatal at 4.50pm on Jan 6 this year.
No plea was taken from Restim after the charge under Section 17(1) of the Minor Offences Ordinance which provides an RM100 fine, on conviction.
The court set Feb 24 for mention and offered Restim on bail of RM300 in one surety.
Inspector Albert Basiri prosecuted.
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