Shelter manager fined for hurting elder

Sentenced: Vignesvari (left) has been fined RM4,500 in lieu of three months’ jail after pleading guilty to intentionally injuring 69-year-old Tharmalingan. — Bernama

KULIM: A welfare home manager was fined RM4,500 in default of three months’ jail after she pleaded guilty to injuring an elderly person.

L. Vignesvari, 36, made the plea after the charges were read before Magistrate Jamaliah Abd Manap, Bernama reported.

She was accused of intentionally causing injury to P. Tharmalingan, 69, with a stick at a house in Taman Desa Aman, Sungai Karangan, at about 3pm on April 22.

The charge was framed under Section 324 of the Penal Code, which is punishable by a jail term of up to 10 years or a fine or caning or any two of the punishments, upon conviction.

National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Suhailah Ahmad, who represented the accused, pleaded for her client to be given a light punishment on the basis that she is a single mother of a two-year-old and has no income.

However, deputy public prosecutor S. Pavitra pressed for a punishment to commensurate with the offence, considering public interest as well as to serve as a deterrent to the accused and society.

In the same Magistrate’s Court, a man was charged with killing a lorry driver on Feb 25.

R. Uvarajan, 29, was charged with murdering M. Sharma Naidu, 28, in front of a car wash and coffee shop in Taman Damai, Padang Serai, by stabbing the victim multiple times.

No plea was recorded.

Uvarajan was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years.

Under the same charge, the accused shall also be liable to not less than 12 strokes of the cane.

DPP Pavitra prosecuted while the accused was represented by lawyer Netaji Rayer.

The court set July 17 for next mention.