IPOH: Resentment over repeated theft accusations by his elderly great-aunt drove a 39-year-old man to rob her of a pair of gold earrings while armed with a screwdriver.
Mohamad Fitri Abdul Aziz was sentenced to four years in prison and one stroke of the rotan by the Sessions Court here after pleading guilty to robbing the 77-year-old woman.
Judge Ainul Shahrin Mohamad ordered the prison sentence to take effect from the date of his arrest.
According to the charge sheet, Fitri robbed Lailan Yeop of a pair of gold earrings while armed with a screwdriver.
The offence took place at a house in Kampung Tanjong, Kampung Kepayang, Simpang Pulai, about 10.30am on Oct 16.
The charge was framed under Section 392 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 397, which provides for a maximum jail term of 14 years, a fine and whipping upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Hairol Gemain urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, noting that the victim was the accused's own great-aunt.
He said the robbery appeared to have been planned, as the accused had allegedly taken advantage of the time when the elderly woman was alone at home.
Hairol said the accused had also sold one of the earrings to a pawnshop, thereby profiting from the crime.
He urged the court to take the victim's advanced age into account when determining the sentence.
In mitigation, Fitri appealed for a lighter sentence, saying he had not intended for matters to turn out that way.
"I'm not married yet and I had no intention of doing so," he said.
When asked by Ainul to explain what he meant, he admitted that he had harboured resentment towards his great-aunt because she had previously accused him of stealing from her house.
"I felt resentful. She had previously accused me of stealing from her house," he said.
The court also ordered the seized exhibits to be handed over to the prosecution.
According to the case facts, the accused placed the screwdriver beside the victim, tied her hands and stole the gold earrings she was wearing before fleeing the scene.
The victim was alone at home at the time of the incident. She managed to free herself after the accused fled and sustained injuries, including bruises on both wrists.
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