IPOH: A mechanic was fined RM20,000 by the Magistrate's Court here on Wednesday (Oct 1) after pleading guilty to a charge of beating a dog to death last month.
Magistrate Anis Hanini Abdullah handed down the sentence on M Thineshkumar, 23, and ordered him to serve one month in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
According to the charge, the man was accused of cruelly beating a male dog with an iron rod, causing injuries, between 10.30pm and 9am on Sept 18 and 19 at a house in Lebuh Klebang Utara 30, Taman Arkid, here.
The charge was framed under Section 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 (Act 772) and punishable under the same section and Act, which carries a fine of not less than RM20,000 and not more than RM100,000, or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Amal Aziemah Kohar urged that the accused be given an appropriate sentence as a lesson, while the accused, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a minimum fine on the grounds that he had no fixed income, had to support both parents and claimed the dog had bitten him.
Based on the facts of the case, on Sept 18 the accused struck his sister's pet dog with an iron rod at their residence, but the animal did not suffer any serious injuries at the time.
However, the next day, while his sister was at work, Thineshkumar once again beat the dog, this time causing severe head injuries that eventually led to its death. – Bernama
