Hired hand for 'Ah Long' fined RM10,000 for splattering red paint on houses

New Straits Times

19-06-2025

BATU PAHAT: An unemployed man, hired by an 'ah long', was fined RM10,000 by the magistrate's court today after pleading guilty to splashing red paint on two houses two months ago.
Sashwin Ravindran, 25, who is currently serving a 12-month jail sentence for the same offence, pleaded guilty before magistrate Arun Noval Dass.
According to the first charge, he and a 31-year-old accomplice were accused of committing a crime by splashing red paint on the house of a 45-year-old woman.
The act was committed at a house in Taman Cemerlang here, at 1.30pm on April 14.
For the second charge, he was charged with doing the same thing at the house of a 70-year-old man in Taman Pandan Jaya, Rengit, at 4.50pm on April 16.
For both charges, he was charged under Section 427 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Act, with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine or both, if convicted.
Based on the facts of the case, the victims were at home and saw their yard covered in red paint.
The closed-circuit television (CCTV) installed at the victims' houses recorded the sight of two men wearing helmets riding a motorcycle.
In addition, the victims also found a threatening note to pay the debt before filing a police report.
The accused was paid RM500 for each house that was splashed with paint.
He was arrested in Skudai on May 14 to assist with the investigation.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Farah Wahidah Mohd Sharip while the accused was represented by lawyer Tan Song Yan from the National Legal Aid Foundation.
In addition to the fine, the court ordered the accused to be imprisoned for 24 months if he failed to pay.