KUALA LUMPUR: A homeless drug addict who beat his teenage friend into a coma was sentenced to 42 months’ jail by the sessions court here, today.
The sentence was handed down on Muhd Rafiq Dinie Amru El Hafize by judge Emelia Kaswati Mohamad Khalid after he changed his plea to “guilty” during the first mention of the case.
Muhd Rafiq was charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt on the 17-year-old victim using a motorcycle helmet, leaving him with a brain injury.
He committed the offence at a flat unit at Persiaran Lemak, Taman Segar, Cheras here, between 3am and 6am on Jan 5.
The court heard that on the day of the incident, Muhd Rafiq was taking crystal meth with his younger brother in the living room of the flat unit, when he suddenly got up and began attacking the teenage victim.
In his defence, the unrepresented accused said he had beaten up the victim because of his alleged ill treatment towards his own mother.
“I was furious over the (victim’s) rudeness towards his own mother. I had seen the way he treated his mother and I was emotional, as I don’t have a mother – she died of breast cancer,” he said.
Previously jailed for of a drug-related crime, Muhd Rafiq pleaded leniency, saying that he regretted his actions and promised not to repeat the offence.
In sentencing, the judge said she had to take into consideration that the victim is now in a coma as a result of the attack.
Emelia also advised the accused to stay away from drugs, as it is the root cause of crime.
“Whatever my decision is, I want you to become a more useful human being and I want you to learn a lesson from this after you get out of prison. I do not want you to repeat the offence ever again, especially the drug offence,” she said.
She then ordered for the accused’s jail term to run from the date of arrest on Jan 6.
The charge, under Section 326 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum jail sentence of 20 years, a fine or a whipping, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Aisyah Ahmad prosecuted.