Kota Kinabalu: Three men including two foreigners were sentenced to three years’ jail each by the Magistrate’s Court on Friday for burglary.
Noorlam Abdullah, Filipino Md Azri Zulkifli and Indonesian Andik Saputra Murpi, aged between 21 and 26, were ordered by Magistrate Lovely Natasha to serve the jail term from the date of their arrest.
The three were jointly charged with two women Noor Atikah Yusuf, 19 and Aznira Yusuf, 20, to breaking into a house of one Lai Ah Pin, 70, along with four accomplices and stealing properties at 7pm on Aug 22 this year at a house in Taman Mutiara here.
Atikah and Aznira pleaded not guilty and were released on a bail of RM1,600 in two sureties each pending pre-trial of the case on Sept 21.
Inspector Kelvan Elson Maik, prosecuting in presenting the facts of the case for Noorlam, Azri and Andik said that on the said day, Lai went out for dinner and movie at a shopping mall with a man, a cushion maker, whom he just became acquainted to.
The facts also stated that, Lai said the man, then asked his wife and a friend to accompany Lai as he was busy and has other matters to attend to.
Later after sending the said man’s wife home, Lai returned to his house only to find that his house had been broken into and his laptop and safe went missing.
Lai, who lives alone in the house, suspected the cushion maker as the culprit, the facts of the case stated.
Investigations revealed that police managed to extract a fingerprint on the wardrobe in the master bedroom.
The charge under Section 457 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to 14 years on conviction.
The court also granted the prosecution application for Azri and Andik to be referred to the Immigration Department thereafter.
In another court, Noorlam was handed another 18 months jail and fined RM2,000 or six months jail for having stolen foreign currencies.
Noorlam admitted before Magistrate Jessica Ombou Kakayun to having 42 pieces of various foreign currencies and also eight coins of foreign currencies belonging to Lai Ah Pin on Aug 24 at a premises in Inanam.
Duty counsel Nabila Norsahar in representing Noorlam, requested for a lenient sentence as Noorlam, who was the breadwinner of his family had remorseful.
Noorlam was charged under Section 411 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to five years and liability of a fine on conviction.
Meanwhile, Noor Atikah claimed trial to having various stolen items belonging to the same complainant.
Atikah was accused of having a laptop, two luxury watches including their guarantee letter, a bag and another 16 wristwatches and an series of car keys at a booth in a supermarket here at 7pm on Aug 24.
Magistrate Lovely set Sept 21 for pre-trial case management and released Atikah on a bail of RM1,600 in two sureties.
Inspector Albert Basiri prosecuted.
