Pregnant wife assaulted over uncooked rice

KUCHING: Due to merely uncooked rice, a husband dared to assault his wife, who was five months pregnant, causing injuries throughout her body.

However, this act had serious repercussions when Kirk Hammet Abdul Haris, 25, unemployed, was fined RM2,000 by the Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to charges under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 326A of the Penal Code.
Magistrate Zubaidah Sharkawi also imposed a two-month jail sentence in case the accused fails to pay the fine.

According to the charges, he was accused of intentionally causing injuries to his 26-year-old wife at a residence on Jalan Cahya Damai, around 9.30 am on Jan 10.

At the time of the incident, the complainant’s husband struck her in the body, ear, right rib, left arm, left leg, and various parts of her left side.

As a consequence, the complainant, being five months pregnant, was taken to the hospital for further treatment, where doctors confirmed she had suffered abrasions all over her body.

The incident was triggered by the rice cooked by the complainant not being fully prepared, which angered her husband and led to the assault.

It is believed that the accused reacted in this manner due to stress after losing his job as a mechanic four days prior.

A police report was filed by the complainant, leading to the subsequent arrest of the accused on Jan 13.

The case was prosecuted by Inspector Prosecutor Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin, and the accused did not have legal representation.