Penampang man in viral video jailed 10 months for beating wife

The man was captured on video assaulting his wife in Penampang for not seeking his permission first to attend a relative’s birthday function.

KOTA KINABALU: A man caught on video beating his wife was sentenced to 10 months in jail by the magistrate’s court here today.

Jerry Boris, 35, pleaded guilty in front of magistrate Lovely Natasha Charles to causing hurt to his wife, 34, at a house in Kampung Minintod, Penampang, on Jan 30.

Before sentencing, Jerry, who was detained by police the following day, requested leniency from the court, saying” “I apologise to the parties involved, I mean, my wife.”

He was not represented.

In the five-minute clip, which was widely shared on social media last week, Jerry could be seen dragging the wife out of their house and grabbing her by her hair.

Another woman, believed to be the woman’s mother, tries to stop him, hitting him with what appeared to be a plastic bottle but was ignored by the man.

Soon after, the accused was seen kicking the woman in the face, causing her to drop to the ground. When the older woman tried to stop him again, he appeared to threaten to kick her as well.

The couple, who have four children, have lived separately since October 2019 as the woman could not bear Jerry’s attitude and behaviour, the court was told.

Prosecuting officer Albert Basiri told the court that Jerry was unhappy with his wife of nine years for attending a relative’s birthday bash without getting his okay that day, causing an argument to erupt. The subsequent struggle was caught on video.

He also said there was another reason for the anger. The man had been trying to force his wife to return and stay with him but the woman had refused.

The episode was recorded by an unknown individual who later posted it on WhatsApp and Facebook, Albert said.

The woman received treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2 for injuries to her neck, hands and legs. She also had bruises all over her body.

She subsequently lodged a police report against her husband so as to initiate a divorce and police action, he said, adding that she was referred to the Welfare Department to obtain a temporary protection order.

In applying for a deterrent sentence, Albert said being the head of the family, Jerry had not acted in a responsible manner.

Jerry was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 326A of the same law, which provides for imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of not more than RM2,000, or both. - FMT