KUCHING: A woman was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment by the Magistrates’ Court today for stealing RM70 from an e-hailing driver.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu meted out the sentence on 26-year-old Nur Syahmina Salidan after she pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 379 of the Penal Code.
The section provides for imprisonment of up to seven years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Nur Syahmina committed the offence in front of a mosque near Tabuan Jaya at about 4:51 pm on August 23, when she stole RM70 belonging to the 41-year-old e-hailing driver.
Facts of the case revealed that the complainant had received an e-hailing booking from Nur Syahmina for a trip from Aeroville Mall to her residence.
After picking her up, the complainant drove her towards the destination. However, while on the way, Nur Syahmina asked him to stop at a mosque near Tabuan Jaya.
She then asked the complainant to enter the mosque to look for her husband, claiming that she could not enter the premises because of the outfit she was wearing at the time.
The complainant complied and entered the mosque, but upon returning, he discovered that his vehicle was missing.
He then contacted his brother, who accompanied him in searching for the vehicle. After about 30 minutes of searching around Kampung Tabuan Melayu, the complainant’s brother spotted the vehicle and they gave chase.
The complainant’s brother managed to block the vehicle, but Nur Syahmina allegedly reversed it at high speed before crashing into a gate, damaging the front portion of the vehicle.
The complainant, his brother and the brother’s girlfriend subsequently apprehended Nur Syahmina and brought her to the police station.
At the Tabuan Police Station, she was arrested and police seized the stolen vehicle along with its key.
Investigations subsequently established that Nur Syahmina had stolen the RM70 from the complainant, leading to the charge under Section 379 of the Penal Code.
Nur Syahmina was unrepresented during the proceedings.
