Kota Kinabalu: A 22-year-old illegal immigrant was jailed 13 years and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane for causing grievous hurt to his ex-wife’s fiancé.
Sessions Court Judge Ummu Khaltom Abdul Samad meted out the sentence to Mohd Isa Ambarat Bayu who pleaded guilty to the charge against him on Monday.
Mohd Isa had assaulted one Fandi Mohamad Ali by using a machete at 6.30pm on May 18 this year at the pedestrian bridge near a bank in Putatan. It left the victim severely injured.
The offence, under Section 326 of the Penal Code, carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, on conviction.
The court ordered Mohd Isa to serve the jail sentence from the date of his arrest on May 20 this year and referred him to the Immigration Department after serving his jail sentence.
During mitigation, Mohd Isa, who was not represented, asked for leniency.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Fauzi Acho urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence on the grounds that Mohd Isa’s action involved the life of a person and it was a serious offence.
Fauzi added that the case involved public interest and that Mohd Isa was not a Malaysian citizen who had entered Sabah illegally.
The court heard that the incident happened when the complainant and her fiancé (Fandi) were walking in the area to return to Kg Tombovo, Putatan, when Mohd Isa approached her fiancé and slashed him several times with the machete before fleeing the scene.
The complainant then brought Fandi to the hospital for treatment before she lodged a police report.
Fandi had suffered injuries on his head, cheeks and hands. Following the police report lodged by the complainant, Mohd Isa was arrested.
