Frenchman threatened to kill me over unleashed dog, neighbour tells court

Wine export manager Sylvain Vidal is accused of criminal intimidation against his neighbour.

GEORGE TOWN: A retired company managing director told the Magistrate’s Court here that his French neighbour threatened to kill him after he scolded his wife for walking a dog without a leash.

Cheah Lim Boon Keong, 58, claimed that Sylvain Vidal had uttered the words “I will kill you or put you in hospital” outside his house in Tanjung Bungah on March 15.

“He stopped his car in front of my house, wound down the window and shouted those words at me when I was under my porch.

“He looked fierce. I panicked and called the police and later lodged a report,” Cheah said.

He was testifying in a criminal intimidation trial against Vidal, 62, a Malaysia My Second Home permanent resident of 20 years.

Vidal, a wine export manager, was charged on April 1 under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which carries a seven-year jail term upon conviction. He had pleaded not guilty and was released on bail of RM7,000.

During examination-in-chief by police prosecuting officer Siti Hajar Jaafar, Cheah said Vidal’s outburst was likely due to him (Cheah) scolding his wife.

He said he had once seen Vidal’s wife walking their dog without a leash which lurched towards his dog as if to attack it.

“I reprimanded her because it tried to attack my dog. I also told them we had laws requiring dog owners to leash their pets while outside their compounds,” he said.

Cheah said he suffered from an anxiety problem and had nightmares and difficulty in sleeping because of the threat.

He also alleged that Vidal had, on March 28, tried to run him down with his car while he was walking his dog but failed after he ran into a cul-de-sac.

He said he reported the incident to the police.

Vidal’s lawyer V Parthipan objected to the statement, saying the police report was never tendered as evidence and the incident was not part of the case. He urged the court to expunge the testimony.

“If he had indeed tried to mow you down, don’t you think it is a more serious offence of attempted murder instead of criminal intimidation and police would have booked him already?

“Furthermore, my client was in Kuala Lumpur on business that day. You have no evidence that my client had tried to do that to you,” he told Cheah.

Parthipan said Vidal had merely wanted to ask him why he had scolded his wife during the March 15 incident but he did not answer.

“When there was no answer from you, Vidal just asked you if there was something wrong with you and you ought to be checked into a hospital. I put it to you that he did not threaten to kill you.”

Cheah, however, denied this.

Parthipan also asked Cheah if he had medical reports to show that he was suffering from anxiety disorder. Cheah said he did not have one as he could not afford it.

“You have lived in this luxury area for 17 years but yet you do not have a diagnosis of your anxiety problem from a doctor to be tendered?” the lawyer asked.

He also asked Cheah if he was aware that most of his neighbours disliked him, to which he said “no”.

When Parthipan asked Cheah if it was true that he was trying to get rid of Vidal and his family from the neighbourhood and had discussed it with other neighbours, Cheah denied this.

Magistrate Rosnee Mohd Radzuan set Dec 19 for prosecution witnesses to give their statements in court. - FMT