RANAU: The Ranau Magistrate’s Court recently sentenced a 35-year-old Indonesian man to eight months in jail after pleading guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to his wife.
He was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 326A, which provides for enhanced punishment when the offence is committed against a spouse.
The incident occurred at about 7pm on June 4, 2026, at workers’ quarters of Seri Baru Sawmill in Kampung Bongkud, following a domestic dispute.
The 44-year-old victim lodged a police report the following morning, alleging that her husband punched her in the jaw, grabbed her neck and pushed her, causing her to hit her head against a wooden clothing rack.
She also suffered pain in her left hand and later received treatment at Ranau Hospital.
The court sentenced the accused to eight months’ imprisonment from the date of conviction on July 29, 2026.
In a separate case, the court granted a three-day remand order against a 32-year-old local man to facilitate investigations into the alleged theft of a water meter head in Kampung Sinarut Lama.
The remand was granted under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 10.04pm recently when the complainant saw an unknown man unplugging a water meter in the village.
The suspect allegedly tried to flee but was chased and apprehended by members of the public before being handed over to police.
The water meter owner later arrived and confirmed that the meter head had been removed. He also identified the recovered red-coloured meter head by its serial number.
Police told the court that more time was needed to record statements from witnesses, complete the investigation papers and obtain further instructions from the Deputy Public Prosecutor.
Investigators also expressed concern that the suspect, who reportedly has a previous record, might abscond if released.
