PUTRAJAYA: A property agent began serving his eight-year prison sentence today after the Court of Appeal dismissed his final appeal to overturn his conviction for sexually assaulting a teenage relative.
A three-judge panel comprising Justices Datuk Azman Abdullah, Datuk Azmi Ariffin and Datuk Noorin Badaruddin also upheld the two strokes of the cane previously imposed by the Sessions Court on the 33-year-old man.
In dismissing the man’s final appeal, Justice Azman said the victim’s testimony was credible and that there was no reason for her to fabricate her evidence. He added that the sentence of eight years’ imprisonment was appropriate.
He said the High Court had not erred in upholding the Sessions Court’s decision in convicting the man for the offence and upholding the sentence.
The man, who had been out on RM20,000 bail pending appeal, was taken into custody on Tuesday (Sept 2) to begin serving his sentence.
The offence took place at about 2.30pm in late January 2020 inside a car in Masai, Johor. The victim, then 15 years old, was reportedly walking home from school in light rain when the accused called out to her and invited her into his vehicle.
The victim’s mother is the aunt of the accused’s wife.
On March 7, last year, the Sessions Court found the man guilty and sentenced him to eight years in prison and two strokes of the cane under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
In addition to the jail sentence and whipping, the court ordered the man to undergo rehabilitation counselling while in detention under Section 26 of the same Act. He is also required to undergo two years of police supervision after completing his prison term, as stipulated under Section 27 of the same Act.
His appeal to the High Court was dismissed on Feb 27 this year.
At Tuesday’s proceedings before the Court of Appeal, the man was represented by lawyers Mohammad Hafizuddin Selamat and T. Haressh, while deputy public prosecutor Iznina Hanim Hashim appeared for the prosecution.- Bernama
