Kota Kinabalu: A 60-year-old former disciplinary teacher of a primary school in Beluran, will now have to spend 18 years in jail after the Court of Appeal ordered him to serve the sentences on three counts of raping and sodomising his pupil, concurrently.
Justices Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Datuk Supang Lian and Datuk Sri Mariana Haji Yahya, in a majority decision against Freddie @ Ampat Unsin after hearing arguments from both parties.
The justices had unanimously affirmed the conviction against Freddie.
Freddie had appealed against the conviction and sentence.
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On the second count, he was sentenced to 18 years and ordered to get four strokes of the cane for raping the same girl at the same time at the school’s sports equipment storage room between March and July 2016.
The offence under Section 376(2(e) of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to 20 years, and whipping, on conviction.
On the third count, Freddie was jailed for another seven years plus two strokes for sodomising the same girl between June and July 2016 at 10am at the school’s operation room.
The appellate court had ordered all the three sentences to run concurrently which means Freddie needed to serve only 18 years.
On Aug 27, 2019, the Sandakan Sessions Court had sentenced Freddie accordingly after he was found guilty of the charges against him.
He then appealed against the decision to the High Court which ordered Freddie to serve the 18 years and seven years sentences consecutively as well as affirmed his conviction.
Counsel Hamida Ambo defended Freddie while Deputy Public Prosecutor Fairuz Johari appeared for the prosecution.
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