KUCHING: A man who punched his coursemate after being provoked in a WhatsApp group chat was fined RM500, in default one week’s imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here today (Aug 26).
Timothy Jon Achon, 32, pleaded guilty to the charge before Senior Assistant Registrar Jessica Lee Suk Kiun.
According to the charge, Timothy committed the offence at about 11.40 pm on Aug 10 at a hostel at a construction assessment and training centre near Jalan Sultan Tengah.
He was charged under Section 334 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum one month’s imprisonment or a fine of up to RM1,000 upon conviction for voluntarily causing hurt on grave and sudden provocation.
According to the facts of the case, the incident occurred after the complainant allegedly provoked Timothy in their WhatsApp group chat by sending the message, “standby all ready… jangan layap”.
Timothy, who was initially warned against his actions, subsequently punched the complainant in the jaw during the incident.
The court was also told that Timothy and the complainant were course-mates and had been roommates for about two months prior to the incident.
A witness who saw the incident intervened and attempted to break up the altercation.
A medical examination later confirmed that the complainant had sustained an injury.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Aidil Akmal Sharidan, while Timothy was unrepresented.
