KUCHING: A 37-year-old inmate serving time for threatening to kill, has been sentenced to an additional five years in prison and one stroke of the cane for possessing a machete in a public place without a reasonable excuse.
Josly Jengit, from Lundu, pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Iris Awen Jon to a charge under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958.
The offence carries a maximum jail term of 10 years and caning upon conviction.
The court ordered that his new sentence take effect from the date of conviction on Monday (Feb 24).
Josly was charged with possessing the machete in front of a house in Kampung Bokah, Lundu, at around 9.30pm on Oct 10, 2020.
On the day of the incident, a 26-year-old woman lodged a police report after Josly arrived at her house carrying a machete in an agitated state while looking for her father.
Fearing for her own safety and that of her family, she immediately reported the incident to the authorities, leading to his arrest the same day.
When questioned, Josly admitted he had acted out of frustration after being scolded by his father-in-law for damaging house tiles.
On Nov 9 last year, the Lundu Magistrate’s Court had fined Josly RM4,000 in default six months in prison, after he pleaded guilty to criminal intimidation under Section 506 of the Penal Code for threatening to injure or kill.
Due to his failure to pay the fine, he was sent to prison to serve the six-month sentence.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff prosecuted the case, while Josly was not represented by counsel.
