KUCHING: A 43-year-old man was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and a RM5,000 fine, in default three months’ imprisonment by the Magistrates’ Court here today for causing hurt with a knife during a dispute with his childhood acquaintance in Kampung Haji Baki.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu handed the sentence to Mohamad Sahmin Sulong after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 324 of the Penal Code.
The offence of voluntarily causing hurt by means of a dangerous weapon under Section 324 of the Penal Code carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, or a fine, or whipping, or any two of those punishments upon conviction.
The court ordered the prison sentence to commence from the date of the accused’s arrest on July 2.
According to the charge, Mohamad Sahmin voluntarily caused injury to his 58-year-old friend using a knife at about 11.30 am on June 7 at a house near Kampung Haji Baki, Jalan Batu Kitang, here.
Court facts revealed that the victim was repairing a friend’s motorcycle in front of his house when the accused approached and assaulted him, resulting in a struggle between the two.
During the scuffle, the accused picked up a knife and slashed the victim, causing injuries to his fingers.
The victim initially told police he did not know why he had been attacked and said he had never had any prior dispute with the accused.
Police later established through investigations that the two men were childhood acquaintances from the same village.
The altercation was triggered after the victim had allegedly scolded and spoken harshly to the accused, leading to a verbal argument that escalated into a physical fight.
The accused then grabbed a knife from the front of the victim’s house and swung it, injuring the victim’s left hand.
A medical examination confirmed that the victim sustained a deep cut to the middle and ring fingers of his left hand, causing injuries to the tendon and finger joint.
The accused was arrested by a team from the Padawan District Police Headquarters’ Criminal Investigation Department at a house in Kampung Haji Baki at about 1 pm on July 2 following an operation to locate him.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani prosecuted the case. The accused was unrepresented.
