KUCHING: A 35-year-old man was fined RM1,800, in default five months imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here today for damaging his neighbour’s window using a slingshot.
Magistrate Nur Syaheeqa Nazwa Radzali imposed the fine on Abang Mohammad Hafifie Abang Mesait after pleading guilty to a charge under Section 427 of the Penal Code, which carries a punishment of imprisonment for a term of between one and five years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
The court also ordered him to pay RM320 in compensation to the victim under Section 426 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), with the amount to be settled today.
According to the charge, Abang Mohammad Hafifie damaged a window belonging to his 56-year-old neighbour at a house in Taman Tuanku Yasin 1, Jalan Matang Baru 10, at about 9:41 am on May 8.
Facts of the case revealed that the complainant lodged a police report after witnessing her front neighbour allegedly using a slingshot to launch a stone towards the window of her house, causing the glass pane to shatter.
The complainant also stated that she feared for her safety following the incident.
Police later arrested the accused at the Kota Sentosa Police Station compound on May 18 for further investigation.
Investigations found that the broken window had resulted in losses of RM320 and that the incident had been witnessed by the complainant herself.
It was understood that the accused admitted that he had acted out of anger over the direction of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed at his neighbour’s house.
He claimed he believed the camera was pointed towards his residence and said he had intended to hit the CCTV camera with a slingshot and stone.
However, the projectile struck and broke the neighbour’s window instead.
Deputy Public Prosecutor, Muhammad Aidil Akmal Shahridan, appeared for the prosecution.
The accused was unrepresented.
