KUCHING: A 47-year-old man was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment and fined RM3,000, in default three months’ jail, by the Magistrates’ Court here today (March 18) after pleading guilty to stealing a pickup truck earlier this month.
Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nadzwa Radzali meted out the sentence on Zulhairie Abdullah, who was unrepresented.
He was charged under Section 379A of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of not less than one year and up to seven years, as well as a fine upon conviction.
According to the charge, Zulhairie committed the offence at about 7.30 am on Mar 11 in front of a laundry shop at Stutong Commercial Centre here, where he stole a Toyota Hilux Double Cab 2.8G AT 4×4 vehicle.
The facts of the case revealed that the complainant realised the vehicle had gone missing from the parking area before reviewing nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, which showed an individual driving the vehicle away.
Among items inside the vehicle at the time were a wallet, identification card, driving licence, two mobile phones, company files, a site drawing, as well as house and office keys.
Acting on intelligence, a police team arrested the accused at about 3 pm on the same day at a hotel in Tabuan Tranquillity.
During the operation, police also seized several items including clothing believed to have been worn during the incident, multiple mobile phones, a car key, a remote control, and a Perodua Myvi.
Investigations further found that the clothing seized matched those seen in the CCTV footage, and the accused had also led police to certain items during the probe.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ruvinasini Pandian prosecuted the case.
Meanwhile, in a separate Magistrates’ Court, Zulhairie pleaded not guilty to stealing a white sport utility vehicle (SUV) in May 2024 when the charge was read before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan.
The court, with the case investigated by Prosecuting Officer Inspector Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin, has set Apr 22 for pre-trial case management.
