Man sentenced to five years for possessing offensive weapon

SIBU: A 35-year-old man was sentenced to five years in prison by the Sessions Court here for possessing an offensive weapon without lawful purpose.

In handing down the sentence today (Oct 9), Judge Musyiri Peet also ordered the accused to be whipped once.

Earlier, Nicholas Thomas Samuel from Tatau pleaded guilty to the charge read and explained to him through an interpreter.

He understood the charge and the consequences of maintaining his guilty plea.

The charge stated that he was found in possession of a scheduled weapon, namely a kerambit (curved knife) without lawful purpose at  the Sungai Kanowit jetty in the district of Kanowit on Sept 15 at about 3.20pm.

As such, he had committed an offence punishable under Section 6(1) of Corrosive And Explosive Substances And Offensive Weapon Act 1958 which provides for an imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than 10 years as well as liable to whipping, upon conviction.

In outlining the facts of the case, deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Amirul Hakim Mohamad Zamri told the court that on Sept 15 at about 3.20pm, two police personnel went to the Sungai Kanowit jetty and saw a man in a longboat behaving in a suspicious manner.

When approaching to check the man, he refused to cooperate but turned aggressive and attacked one of the police personnel with a sharp knife believed to be a kerambit.

Following the attack, the police personnel sustained serious injuries on his left arm and left lower abdomen.

Later on the same day at about 5pm, a police party from the Kanowit Police Department successfully arrested the man identified as the accused.

“Investigation revealed that the accused had committed the aforesaid offence,” DPP Amirul Hakim added.

The accused, who had no legal representation, was ordered to serve the prison sentence from the date of his arrest on Sept 15.