Jobless youth gets six years jail, whipping for robbery

KUALA LUMPUR: A jobless youth was sentenced to six years jail and a stroke of the rotan by the sessions court here today, for robbing a convenience store of money and various cigarette brands worth over RM600, last month.
Judge Rohatul Akmar Abdullah handed down the sentence on Mohamad Syukry Norhamidi, 25, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Earlier Mohamad Syukry, who was unrepresented, told the court that he committed the offence because he was desperate for money to buy groceries.
However, as soon as the judge asked whether he felt sorry for letting down the mother and grandmother who had raised him, the youth nodded and broke into tears.
The court ordered the accused to serve the jail sentence from the date of arrest on March 9.
Mohamad Syukry was charged with robbing Muhammad Firdaus Mohd Nazri, 19, a store employee, while armed with a knife which was likely to put any person in fear of death or hurt, and making off with RM224 cash and various cigarettes worth RM390.
He was charged under Section 392/397 of the Penal Code which provides a maximum of 14 years jail, liable to a fine and whipping on conviction.
The offence was committed at a convenience store at Taman Koperasi Polis, Sentul, here, on Feb 26.
Earlier deputy public prosecutor Kamarul Aris Kamalluddin urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, considering a weapon was used and the offence was committed in a public area. — Bernama