TAWAU: Two friends were each sentenced to 10 years in prison and three strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here, Tuesday, for robbing a female teacher.
Judge Rosli Ahmad handed down the sentence on an unemployed man, Muhamad Hafiz, 20, and his Indonesian friend, Hamzah Azri, 43, who is a contract labourer, after they pleaded guilty to the charge.
The two men were charged with robbing the teacher when armed with a machete and a nylon rope at the victim’s home in Kampung Pasir Putih, here, at 5.40am last March 15.
They were charged under Sections 395 and 397 of the Penal Code for gang robbery and committing robbery when armed or with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt.
The court ordered the two men to serve their jail sentence from the date of arrest, which was last March 15 and for Hamzah to be referred to the Immigration Department after completing the sentence.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Syahnidzam Ahmad prosecuted, while the two accused were unrepresented.
Meanwhile, Hamzah was also sentenced to three years in prison by the Magistrate’s Court here Tuesday after pleading guilty to concealing the belongings of the teacher that were stolen in the robbery.
They comprised a brown handbag, a branded blue wallet, five bank cards, a health card, Mykad, a Lembaga Tabung Haji savings account book and a driver’s licence.
He was charged with committing the offence under Section 414 of the Penal Code last March 15.
Magistrate Don Stiwin Malanjum ordered Hamzah to serve the sentence from the date of arrest.
