Jobless man jailed 10 months for house-breaking

KUCHING: An unemployed man was sentenced to 10 months in prison by the Magistrate’s Court today (Sep 18) for breaking into an elderly man’s house with the intent to steal last Monday. 

Mohd Syafiq Abdullah, 27, pleaded guilty to the charge read before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan. 

According to the charge, he committed the offence at a house on Jalan Sultan Tengah at around 1.30 am last Monday. 

He was charged under Section 457 of the Penal Code, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years and liable to a fine. If the intent of the offence is theft, the imprisonment term can be extended to 14 years, and for a second or subsequent offence, a fine or whipping can be imposed upon conviction. 

Based on the facts of the case, on the day of the incident, the accused broke into the 64-year-old victim’s house through the bathroom window in the kitchen area. 

When he realised the complainant was at home, the accused fled. 

The house was found in disarray after being ransacked by the accused. 

A police report was lodged, and during a crime prevention patrol, information was received about a suspicious man in the Jalan Temenggong area. 

Upon arrival at the location, a man (the accused) was arrested while injured, having been beaten by the public. 

Investigations revealed that the accused entered the complainant’s house without permission with the intent to steal. 

The prosecution was led by prosecuting officer ASP Arman Ibrahim, while the accused was unrepresented.