MELAKA: A chronic asthma and heart patient was sentenced to two years' jail by the Magistrate's Court in Ayer Keroh here after the 34-year-old pleaded guilty to six counts of stealing donation boxes at mosques and a madrasah as well as a mobile phone.
Magistrate Khairunnisak Hassni also ordered Mohd Ridzuan Zamri to be given one stroke of the rotan when meting out the sentence on Friday (Aug 23).
Ridzuan was also fined RM3,500 by the court in default six months' jail.
Based on the statement of facts, Mohd Ridzuan had stolen RM1,400 in total from donation boxes at several mosques and one madrasah in Semabok, Duyong, Pengkalan Renggam, Tanjung Minyak and Bukit Katil in the Melaka Tengah district.
All the offences were committed between July 25 and Aug 1.
The charges were framed under Section 380 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine upon conviction.
Ridzuan was also charged under Section 457 of the Penal Code for housebreaking.
He was also jailed three months for stealing a mobile phone belonging to a 40-year-old woman at Sri Siantan Apartment in the same district at 2am on July 29.
For this offence, he was also charged under Section 380 of the Penal Code.
The prosecution was conducted by DPP Wardah Ishhar.
Lawyer Nigel Tai, who represented Ridzuan, appealed for a lighter sentence given his client's medical condition.
He also told the court that Ridzuan has a sickly wife and schoolgoing children to support.
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently from July 31, the date of Ridzuan's arrest.
