Court frees unemployed woman after sentence cut for stealing RM379 worth of essential items
KUALA LUMPUR: A mother of two who was previously sentenced to two months in jail by the magistrate's court here for stealing groceries from a supermarket breathed a sigh of relief today when the High Court reduced her sentence to six days and ordered her release.
Judge K. Muniandy made the ruling after finding that the two-month sentence handed down to 38-year-old Lini Ahmat on April 21 was excessive in relation to the offence committed
"The accused also admitted that she stole out of desperation. The jail sentence that she had served for six days was sufficient, the accused is released today," the judge said, adding that the court used its jurisdiction to review the decision of the magistrate's court.
Before reducing the sentence, Muniandy asked the accused several times if she was aware that stealing was an offence, as well as advising her to find a job to support herself.
The woman admitted her guilt and said she had repented and was waiting to work as a cook in the food court of a shopping mall after her release.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Izalina Abdullah said the sentence handed down to Lini was excessive based on current sentencing trends, where individuals who plead guilty are typically given a fine or a jail term of about a week.
Lawyer Collin Andrew of the National Legal Aid Foundation, representing Lini, said his client had repented and regretted her actions and asked for the two-month jail sentence to be replaced with a period of imprisonment that had been served since April 19.
"The client has been in jail for six days since she was arrested on the day of the incident, April 19. The facts of the case show that most of the stolen items were food and necessities.
"There was no loss involved because all the goods that were seized had been returned to the supermarket," said Andrew.
On April 21, Lini was charged with stealing 30 items including snacks, personal care products and daily necessities worth RM374.69 from a supermarket in Brickfields, near here.
The charge was filed under Section 380 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine, if convicted. – BERNAMA
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
31 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Gerik crash: Terengganu govt to cover funeral for 15 UPSI students
KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu state government will fully bear the funeral costs for the 15 victims of the fatal bus accident on the East-West Highway (JRTB), near Tasik Banding, Gerik, early this morning. State Welfare, Women's Development, Family, and National Unity Committee chairman Maliaman Kassim said the state government will also provide logistical support to the victims' families who are at the hospital. Additionally, he stated that a psychosocial team will be assigned to assist family members facing trauma or grief due to the incident. "Indeed, the passing of these students is a great loss not only to their families but also to Terengganu, which is very proud of the achievements and spirit of its youth in pursuing knowledge. "For the families, we will provide counseling services and immediate assistance to help them cope with difficult moments like today," he said in a statement today. In the incident that occurred between 12.30am and 1am, 15 UPSI students died when a chartered bus traveling from Jerteh to Tanjung Malim, Perak, overturned after being involved in an accident with a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) on the JRTB, near Tasik Banding, Perak. The accident also resulted in 33 others being injured, including the bus driver and second driver, as well as the Perodua Alza driver and three passengers. – Bernama
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
UPSI Bus Crash: Post-mortem On 15 Fatal Crash Victims Completed After 17 Hours, Six Identified
GENERAL KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Bernama) -- Seventeen hours after the fatal crash involving a bus carrying Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students shocked the nation early today, post-mortem examinations on the 15 victims have been completed, with the identities of six individuals officially confirmed. As of 5.30 pm today, the identified victims are Sufea Adela Maslihaizan, 21; Mohammad Aqil Taqiudin, 21; Anis Soffiyya Md Zaidi, 20; Nur Ainul Qistina Mat Ali, 21; Muhammad Adib Hazim Halim, 21; and Wan Nur Suhaila Wan Muhammad, 22. The information was conveyed by Perak Police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin to reporters at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) in Ipoh, Perak, this evening. Earlier, post-mortem procedures on the bodies of Muhammad Adib Hazim and Wan Nur Suhaila were conducted at Gerik Hospital, Hulu Perak, while the remaining 13 were examined at the HRPB Forensic Department. Previously, Perak Health director Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha said three forensic teams were assigned to conduct the autopsies, which were expected to be completed by midnight due to the condition of the bodies and the identification process by the families. The heartbreaking incident at KM53 of the East-West Highway (JRTB) in Banun, near Tasik Banding, Gerik, Perak, occurred between 12.30 am and 1 am, when a chartered bus carrying students from the UPSI Tanjung Malim campus overturned after reportedly hitting the rear of a Perodua Alza multipurpose vehicle (MPV). The bus, carrying 42 students aged between 21 and 23 who were returning to campus after the Aidiladha break, had departed from Jertih, Terengganu, at 9 pm. In a related development, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri assured that psychosocial support, counselling, and other necessary aid would be immediately provided to the families of the deceased. She said officers from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) would be mobilised to assist the families, particularly in managing their emotional wellbeing and welfare needs.
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Gerik Bus Tragedy: flower Bouquet, Adib's Last Gift To Mom
GERIK, June 9 (Bernama) -- A bouquet of flowers crafted from banknotes, lovingly arranged as a birthday gift for his mother, became the final present from Muhammad Adib Hazim Halim, 21, before he perished in the tragic crash along the East-West Highway (JRTB) at Banun, Gerik, early this morning. According to his elder brother, Muhammad Aiman Hazman Halim, 32, the bouquet was a token of love for their mother, Rus Lina Abd Razak, 69, in conjunction with her birthday celebration held with the family on Sunday. 'Adib really enjoyed creating decorative crafts. Previously, he also made a bouquet for our sister when she completed her SUKSIS training,' he said when met at the Forensics Unit of Gerik Hospital. Muhammad Aiman said Adib was a devoted son, a memoriser of the Quran (tahfiz), and dearly loved by all his siblings. He said the family learned about the accident after seeing viral images of the crash circulating on social media. 'Before the incident, ummi (our mother) had taken a photo of the bus Adib boarded and shared it in our family WhatsApp group. So, when we saw the viral photos, we immediately knew Adib was involved in the accident. 'Ummi also cried quietly in her room before her birthday celebration without knowing why she felt overwhelmed with emotion—she never imagined this would be the reason,' he said. The funeral prayer for Muhammad Adib Hazim, a Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student, will be held at the surau of Kampung Pasir Badak, Besut, Terengganu and he will be laid to rest at the nearby cemetery. In the crash that around 1.10 am, 15 UPSI students were killed after the chartered bus they were travelling in from Jerteh, Terengganu to Tanjung Malim, Perak overturned in a collision with a Perodua Alza MPV on the JRTB near Tasik Banding, Perak.
