6 days ago
Eight accused in Plentong assault case change guilty plea
JOHOR BARU: A woman and seven male accomplices who pled guilty to four charges, including making death threats, assault and extortion, changed their pleas at the magistrate's court here today.
Nuredrianna Balqqisyh Anabella Norazman, 22, Muhammad Aqmal Hafifi Mustafa Kamal, 25, Ahmad Rushdi Jumadi, 23, Muhammad Nur Shafiq Abdullah, 25, Muhammad Haikal Zulkarnain, 19, Mohamad Amierul Hakim Shamsuri, 23, Mohamad Danish Hakim Kamaruddin, 20, and Syamsul Hamiziey Saiful Razali, 19, all claimed trial after the charges were re-read to them before magistrates A. Shaarmini and Nur Fatin Mohamad Farid.
In the first charge, all eight suspects, in addition to two individuals still at large, were accused of criminally extorting Muhammad Faris Syahmi Mohd Ridzwan, 22.
The accused allegedly threatened to continue beating the victim unless he paid RM3,000. As a result, he handed over RM650 and the keys to his Yamaha Y16 motorcycle to accused Mohamad Amierul.
In the second charge, seven of the accused, excluding Nuredrianna Balqqisyh Anabella, were charged with voluntarily causing hurt to the same victim.
In the third charge, all eight were accused of unlawfully confining the victim.
In separate proceedings before magistrate Nur Fatin, the accused pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal intimidation with threats of death against the victim during the same incident.
All offences were allegedly committed at an apartment in Plentong, Masai, between 10pm on April 18 and 4am on April 19.
Charges were brought under Sections 506, 384, 342 and 323 of the Penal Code, which provide for up to 10 years in jail, fines or both upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutors Nur Fatihah Mohd Nizam and Nik Noraini Nik Azman prosecuted.
Nurul Nadia Yunos represented Syamsul Hamiziey, T. Haressh represented Mohamad Amierul Hakim, and Khairulazwad Sariman and Syahmi Nawawi represented Muhammad Aqmal and Ahmad Rushdi.
The remaining accused were unrepresented.
The court allowed the prosecution's application to set a new date for document submission and the appointment of lawyers for the unrepresented accused.
Nur Fatin fixed July 18 for case management and maintained bail conditions set during earlier proceedings.
Earlier, several of the accused cried when they saw their family members outside the courtroom.
On April 25, the eight accused pled guilty to the charges.
A video of the incident showing a man being beaten by a group of men in a residential unit had gone viral.
Police arrested the suspects about 2.30am on April 21 when they tried to flee the Plentong Baru apartment complex.
