KUCHING: The two men who snatched a woman’s handbag in Taman Desa Wira in Batu Kawa here that went viral on social media on April 22 have been sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 lashes each by the Sessions Court on Monday (April 29).
Judge Musli Abdul Hamid sentenced Amirudin Bakeri, 21, and Abang Nur Arifin Abang Ali Munawar, 31, after both pleaded guilty to charges under Section 394 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same Code.
Based on the charges, the two men snatched the handbag of a 58-year-old woman, who is also visually impaired.
They committed the offense at Jalan Lorong 11, Taman Desa Wira, Batu Kawa, at around 7.56am, April 22.
Judge Musli ordered the two men to serve their jail terms effective from the date of their arrest.
According to the facts of the case, at the time of the incident, the victim was walking alone on the side of the road before she was suddenly approached by two men on a motorcycle, and they attempted to snatch her bag.
Despite her efforts to resist, the duo persisted in their robbery attempt.
Fortunately, a passing motorist intervened, causing the duo to flee empty-handed.
The victim suffered injuries during the struggle, and came forward to lodge a police report for further action.
Amirudin was successfully apprehended by the public at the scene and was handed over to the police while Abang Nur Arifin was arrested on the same day at Kuching Airport Road.
The investigation confirmed the two men’s involvement, supported by footage captured by a vehicle’s dashboard camera.
DPP Iezzah Iburdanisha Ibrahim prosecuted the case while the case was investigated by Investigating Officer Inspector Nyaum Ringkai and Assistant Investigating Officer Sergeant Azmi Roslan.
Both of the accused were not represented by legal counsels.
