SIBU: A 38-year-old man was on Tuesday (June 9) sentenced to a fine of RM10,000, in default one year’s imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here for damaging the front windscreen of a car.
Tang Kok Ming of Foochow Lane pleaded guilty to the charge read and explained to him through an interpreter before Magistrate Romario Jonoi.
He understood the charge and the consequences of his guilty plea.
In handing down the sentence, Romario also ordered the accused to pay compensation of RM550 to the car owner, failing which he has to serve one month’s imprisonment.
Tang was indicted on a charge of intending to cause wrongful loss to Valentine Kong Sook Hieng, 25, by causing the destruction of his car’s front windscreen at a parking lot at Market Road on June 3 at about 11.55am, thereby committing mischief, which is an offence punishable under Section 427 of the Penal Code.
The offence provides for an imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than five years or fine or both, upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, on June 3 at about 8am, the complainant had parked his car at a parking space at Market Road in good condition for work.
On the same day at about noon after finishing his work, the complainant found that the front windscreen of his car had been broken by an object believed to be a stone.
Subsequently, he lodged a police report for further action.
The following day at about 10.05pm, acting on a tip-off, a police party led by ASP Mohd Adzmei Ahmad arrested the accused at the Sibu Gateway for further investigation into the incident.
Following the investigation, the accused admitted to breaking the car’s front windscreen.
Moreover, an eyewitness had seen the accused threw a stone at the car.
Based on police investigation, the accused deliberately damaged the car’s front windscreen with a stone.
The case was prosecuted by deputy public prosecutor Keshava Rao Tharma Raja while the accused, who had no legal representation, has to serve the default sentence as he failed to pay the fine.
