Thai masseuse gets 7 years for drug possession

KUALA LUMPUR: A Thai masseuse was sentenced to seven years in prison by the High Court here today after pleading guilty to possession of 110.4g of syabu.
Jenjira Thawornpong, 27, committed the offence in front of the guard post at DHL Express in Jalan 3, Off Jalan Chan Sow Lin Cheras here, at 4.45pm on April 4, 2016.
Judicial commissioner Datuk Nordin Hassan said when meting out the punishment that the court took into consideration the factors that she was a first offender and a single mother with a four-year-old son.
Earlier in mitigation, counsel Zaleha Al-Hayat said Jenjira had come to Malaysia to work and was trapped in the drug case as a victim of circumstances.
"If the court imposes a term of more than eight years, we worry about who would take care of her son and family who depended on her to support them financially," she submitted.
However, deputy public prosecutor Ezrene Zakariah urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence to reflect the seriousness of the offence and in view of its rampancy.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted and discharge Jenjira's friend, Chayuda Srisutham, 37, a housemaid, who was the second accused in the case. — Bernama