KUCHING: Two male cousins were each sentenced to two months in prison and fined RM1,500 by the Magistrate’s Court today for stealing items belonging to the mother of one of the accused.
Elvin Thomas Nuing, 23, and Janykhal Ujang, 30, pleaded guilty to two charges which were read separately in front of two different magistrates.
According to the first charge, they committed the offence of stealing five pieces of zinc roofing and an iron fence belonging to a 43-year-old woman in a house at Taman Sri Emas, Batu Kawa, at around 7.30 am on Feb 13.
Therefore, both of them are charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same code.
Magistrate Zubaidah Sharkawi sentenced the two accused to two months’ imprisonment each effective from yesterday.
For the second charge, they were charged under Section 414 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same code for disposing of the stolen property of a gas cannister belonging to the same victim by selling it to a shop in Lorong 7, Batu Kawa, at about 7.30 pm, on the same day (Feb 13).
Magistrate Zaiton Anuar sentenced each of the accused to a fine of RM1,500 in default two months in prison.
According to the facts of the case, the complainant, who is the mother of Elvin (the first accused), received a message from her sister stating that she saw her son and nephew (Janykhal) lifting the zinc roofs placed behind the complainant’s house.
The complainant then rushed home and made an inspection and found that household items such as an iron fence unit, a gas cannister and five pieces of zinc roofing were missing.
The estimated loss of property sustained by the complainant is around RM900.
She then made a police report for further action leading to the arrest of the two accused on Feb 19, at around 2.30 pm.
As a result of the investigation, it was found that they had stolen the zinc roofs and iron fence belonging to the complainant in addition to selling a gas cannister for RM60 to a shop.
The prosecution of the case was handled by two different prosecuting officers, namely Inspector Merylene Lindan Andrew Mang and Inspector Nur Syafiqa Nyaie Ilin while they were not represented by lawyers.
