PUTRAJAYA: A 49–year–old woman was sentenced to a year’s jail by the Court of Appeal here today for scalding her domestic helper almost five years ago.
Lim Lee Poh, who runs a children orphanage, was also fined RM20,000 in default two years jail and ordered to pay RM10,000 compensation to the victim Koay Ley Kheng.
A three–member bench, in a 2–1 majority decision, allowed the prosecution’s appeal to reinstate the Penang Magistrate’s Court’s decision which had convicted Lim for the offence.
Lim was acquitted and discharged by the Penang High Court which had allowed her appeal on April 18, last year.
Justices Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah decided the majority decision in favour of the prosecution while Justice Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang dissented.
Justice Abdul Karim who chaired the bench, however, varied the sentence from three years’ jail, which was imposed on Lim by the Magistrate’s Court, to a year’s jail with RM20,000 fine and RM10,000 compensation to the victim.
In setting aside the High Court decision to acquit Lim, Justice Abdul Karim said the prosecution’s appeal has merits.
Lim was found guilty and sentenced to three years’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court on Feb 24, 2017, for causing hurt to 29–year–old Koay in an apartment in Jalan Bukit Bendera, Ayer Itam, Penang on Aug 20, 2014.
