Court reduces ex-fishermen’s jail time for armed robberies

 

Rapid Shahrudin and Azhar Kahar saw their aggregate jail sentences for armed robberies and weapon possession reduced by the Court of Appeal. (Pexels pic)

PUTRAJAYA: Two former fishermen convicted of armed robberies and possession of a scheduled weapon saw their jail time substantially reduced after the Court of Appeal substituted their consecutive sentences with concurrent ones.

A three-member Court of Appeal bench chaired by Justice Hadhariah Syed Ismail said the consecutive jail terms were excessive as the two had pleaded guilty to the charges.

“We have also considered the sentencing trend for armed robbery,” said Hadhariah, who sat with Justices M Gunalan and Lim Chong Fong.

Rapid Shahrudin, 31, will now serve eight years in jail. The bench also reduced his whipping sentence from 12 strokes to eight.

His accomplice, Azhar Kahar, 36, will be detained for eight years and receive six strokes of the rotan.

Rapid had pleaded guilty in a sessions court to committing armed robbery by using a knife on Lim Chong Whi at a reflexology centre in Taman Sri Kenchana, Batu Pahat, Johor, on Dec 15, 2017. He was sentenced to seven years in jail and six strokes of the rotan.

He had also pleaded guilty to committing another robbery together with Azhar and using brass knuckles on Tan Kim Yong at a massage parlour at Bandar Pura Kenchana on Dec 12, 2017. The duo were sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane each.

Azhar had also pleaded guilty to being in possession of a set of brass knuckles at his home at Jalan Parit Botak, Senggarang, Johor, on Dec 16, 2017. He was sentenced to five years’ jail for the offence under Section 7(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958.

In total, Rapid was ordered by the sessions court to serve 15 years in jail and receive 12 strokes of the rotan, while Azhar was punished with a 13-year term and ordered to be given 6 strokes.

Lawyers Saha Deva Arunasalam represented Rapid while Syahredzan Johan and Amanda Wong appeared for Azhar.

The lawyers submitted that the sentences were excessive as their clients had both pleaded guilty to the charges and had not inflicted any injury on their victims when committing the crimes. - FMT