SEREMBAN: A 28-year-old father of three was sentenced to 20 years in jail and ordered to be given four strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court after he was found guilty of two counts of sexually assaulting his niece who was two months short of turning 15.
Judge Surita Budin said the prosecution had proven both the charges against the accused.
The accused was charged with committing the first offence against the victim at a house in Taman Matahari Indah at around 5am between Dec 26 and 27, 2021.
The second offence was committed at the same house around noon on Dec 28.
The court, however, acquitted and discharged the accused of a third charge after finding that the defence had successfully raised a reasonable doubt.
Surita then sentenced the accused to 10 years’ jail and two strokes of the cane for each charge. She ordered the sentences to run consecutively.
Lawyer Asmawi Ismail asked the court to grant a stay of execution as the defence would appeal the decision, but deputy public prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni objected, saying there were no special circumstances to allow it.
Surita rejected a stay of execution.
