KUCHING: A man was fined RM5,000, or in default nine months’ imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here today for damaging his neighbour’s property last Sunday.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu meted out the sentence to Mohd Shamsurin Sapian, 27, after he was convicted of the offence under Section 427 of the Penal Code.
According to the charge, he committed the offence at about 3:00 am on May 10 at a house near Kampung Buntal here, where he damaged a plasterboard, a zinc roof sheet, and the driver’s side door of a Ford Ranger belonging to a woman, causing losses estimated at RM770.
The offence under Section 427 of the Penal Code provides for a jail term of not less than one year and up to five years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Facts of the case revealed that the complainant was awakened by a loud noise coming from the roof of her house.
Her husband later went outside to investigate and saw their neighbour holding an unidentified object before the neighbour quickly retreated into his house.
A subsequent inspection found several stones on the roof, along with damage to the roofing and the front wall of the house. Further checks also revealed dents and scratches on the driver’s side door of the complainant’s Ford Ranger.
Police investigations revealed that the accused lived about three metres away from the complainant’s house.
Although there was no CCTV footage, a witness saw the accused throwing objects towards the house.
Investigations also found that the wall of the house had been cracked after being struck by stones, while the vehicle sustained visible damage consistent with the incident.
It is understood that the accused had intended to shoot birds using stones, but the stones instead struck the complainant’s property.
The prosecution was conducted by Inspector Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin. The accused was unrepresented.
