SEREMBAN: A 24-year-old youth was sentenced to serve one year in jail by the Sessions Court here after he pleaded guilty to a charge of committing mischief by causing damage to property.
Judge Surita Budin ordered the accused Low Ting Sheng to start serving his sentence from the date of his arrest in February.
The accused was charged with another individual who had been charged earlier with committing the offence around 1.36am on Feb 17 at a house in Taman Bukit Nuri Indah Rasah near here.
He was charged under Section 427 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same legislation.
Offenders can be jailed between one and five years or a fine or both upon conviction.
In mitigation, counsel for the accused Muizzudin Schanni Feizal Maurice Feizal pleaded for leniency as the accused was a first-time offender and was only educated till Form Five.
He said apart from his mother, the accused was the other breadwinner in his family and he had to also provide for a sister with Down syndrome.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Balkis Zunaidi asked the court to impose a sentence commensurate with the crime and to prioritise public interest.
According to the facts of the case, an occupant of the house who was also the complainant heard some strange sounds outside and upon checking, saw a small fire.
After putting it out, he found a note warning the complainant's son to settle his debts, failing which he would return. He also found two WhatsApp numbers on the note.
CCTV checks later revealed a man throwing a bottle, which caused the fire in the house compound.
