KUCHING: Five teenagers who pleaded guilty to committing a gang robbery at a business premises in Jalan Tun Jugah here in June were ordered to be sent to the Henry Gurney School for three years by the Sessions Court today.
Judge Noorhisham Mohd Jaafar made the order after considering the social and probation reports prepared by the Social Welfare Department.
The five, comprising two aged 18, two aged 15 and one aged 14, previously pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 395 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 397 of the same Code.
The court heard that the offence occurred at about 4am on June 1 at convenience store near Jalan Tun Jugah, where five individuals armed with parang and wooden sticks confronted the workers and demanded cash and cigarettes.
The group took about RM1,000 in cash and several brands of cigarettes before damaging the premises’ CCTV monitor, cashier machine and other equipment and fleeing the scene.
Police investigations, CCTV footage and statements recorded from the accused subsequently linked all five to the robbery.
The court was told that the five admitted their involvement and identified themselves in the CCTV footage based on their faces, clothing, footwear, weapons and respective roles during the incident.
The CCTV footage showed one suspect, who is believed to be the group’s leader and mastermind, entering the premises first, followed by four of the accused.
The suspect was seen taking cash from the cashier counter while one of the accused allegedly pointed a parang at the workers and took cash.
Another took cigarettes while two others used wooden sticks to smash the monitor, cashier machine and other items at the counter.
The fifth accused acted as the driver of a red Proton Saga, which was waiting outside the premises.
The court was also told that the suspected leader remains at large.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Adriana Maisarah Mohd Farid while all five accused were unrepresented.
