KLANG: A man charged over a snatch theft, which saw the victim seriously hurt after being thrown off her motorcycle, cried after he was sentenced to five years jail and two strokes of the rotan by the Sessions Court today (April 25).
Judge Sharifah Hascindie Syed Omar meted out the sentence after the accused, Muhammad Syafi'ei Hasan, 24, pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery.
The court ordered him to serve the jail sentence from the date of his arrest on April 21.
Syafi'ei, who stood in the dock, was seen wiping his tears with his T-shirt.
"I am repentant and regret my action. My parents are elderly. They are 64 and 67, and have high-blood pressure and gout.
"I plead for a lighter sentence. I will not repeat my action."
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Bahiyah Amir Haidi said the incident had caused the victim severe injuries and had put her life at stake.
She said it was a serious offence and his early guilty plea did not mean he could get an "automatic discount" on his sentence.
"As seen in the video, the victim had fallen on the road and, thankfully, there were no passing vehicles at that time.
"There is a dash-cam recording of the incident. The prosecution wishes to stress on public interest and, in Klang, there are many snatch thefts. I apply for a heavy sentence."
The charge read that he had robbed the victim, Nurain Natasha Ab Halim, 21, and had deliberately hurt her.
He committed the offence on Jalan Persiaran Raja Muda Musa, near SMK (P) Raja Zarina, about 8.50am on April 15.
The offence, under Section 394 of the Penal, carries a jail term of 20 years and fine, or whipping.
Last Sunday, Syafi'ei was arrested in Langkawi by tourist police.
He was sent back to Klang and remanded for four days.
Syafi'ei, who was riding a motorcycle, had approached the victim from the back and pulled her bag strapped across her body.
She fell and sustained injuries. The bag contained an iPhone 14, a wallet with personal documents and RM114 cash.