PUTRAJAYA: A man could consider himself lucky when the Court of Appeal yesterday allowed his appeal for the jail sentences imposed on him for incest and committing unnatural sex with his step-daughter to be served concurrently.
Following a decision by a three-man bench of the Court of Appeal, headed by Justice Datuk Wira Mohtarudin Baki, the man, now aged 49, would only have to serve 16 years in jail and received six strokes of the cane.
The man had been sentenced by the Seremban Sessions Court on March 3, 2017 to 16 years’ jail and four strokes of the cane for incest and nine years’ jail and two stokes of the cane for committing unnatural sex with his step-daughter, to be served consecutively, meaning he would have to be in jail for 25 years.
He pleaded guilty to both charges which were committed at a house in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, between October 2016 and Feb 2017. His step-daughter was then 19 years old.
When handing down the decision, Mohtarudin, sitting with judges Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, said the bench unanimously agreed to allow part of the appeal.
“The sentences for the two offences should be served concurrently. With that, the order of the Sessions Court judge is amended,” he added.
The man had appealed to the Seremban High Court, which upheld the decision of the Sessions court.
Earlier, the man, who was unrepresented, submitted that he realised that his actions were against the teachings of his religion and law.
What happened will be a lesson for me, he added.
Deputy public prosecutor Dhiya Syazwani Izyan Mohd Akhir prosecuted.
The same court also upheld a 12-year imprisonment and five strokes of the cane meted out on a man who committed incest with his sister-in-law.
The man had appealed to set aside the jail sentence imposed by the Kangar High Court.
“In this case, the appellant did not plead guilty. This shows the appellant does not regret his doings,” said Mohtarudin.
The man, aged 22, had appealed for the Court of Appeal to uphold the two-year good behaviour bond imposed on him by the Kangar Sessions Court on Dec 15, 2017.
The Sessions Court had placed him on two-year good behaviour bond after finding him guilty of committing incest with his sister-in-law, then 15, at a house in Simpang Empat, Kangar, Perlis, at 5am on Dec 11, 2015.
The prosecution appealed to the High Court, which then replaced the sentence with 12 years imprisonment and five strokes of the cane.- Bernama
