KOTA KINABALU: A labourer was jailed a total of 33 years for 10 charges of gang robbery while a newspaper dispatcher was jailed a total of 30 years for nine similar offences.

Sessions Court Judge Ummu Kalthom Abdul Samad also ordered 34-year-old labourer Aslin Amat and newspaper dispatcher Mohd Saiful Ridzuan Sudirman, 23, to be given 17 strokes of the cane each.

Currently serving 18 months in prison after they pleaded guilty to five charges of theft on Feb 3 at the magistrates’ court here, they were also fined RM2,000 in default six months’ jail each.

Ummu imposed the sentences on Aslin and Saiful after they maintained their guilty plea to all the charges, six of them involving weapons.

They had pleaded guilty to all the charges during their first arraignment on Feb 3.

However, the duo will only serve nine years in prison after the court ordered most of their respective sentences to run concurrently from the date of their arrest on Jan 28 this year.

The court also ordered Aslin to be placed under police supervision for three years after his release from prison.

The first charge accused Saiful and Aslin of robbing Lourina G Millip, 39, by using a butcher’s knife at Jalan Sekoli in Telipok about 6.30pm on Jan 6.

For the second charge, they were accused of robbing Elisabeth Kedek, an IMM13 holder and a maid, by using the same weapon about 6.40pm on that day at Jalan Giling, Tuaran.

The third charge accused the duo of robbing Chew Pei Fui of a shoulder bag which contained among others, personal documents, a CD player and RM150 altogether worth RM450 by using a knife about 7pm on Dec 16, last year at Taman Sutera Lido here.

For the fourth charge, they were accused of robbing IMM13 holder Nurhizam Nuhi of RM70 about 7pm on Jan 4 at a junction to Alam Damai here.

Saiful and Aslin admitted in the fifth charge of robbing Mazni Mousin, 21, of a handphone, a laptop computer, a MyKad and an ATM card altogether worth RM2,700 by using a knife at a junction to Taman Flamingo in Menggatal about 6.45pm on Nov 15 last year.

The sixth charge accused them of robbing Matinus Sili Matius 26, of a handphone and RM34 about 8.45am on Oct 5 last year at the Printing Department in Mile 2, Tuaran Road.

For the seventh charge, the duo were accused of robbing Kurnia Jafar, 19, of a bag which contained a handphone and a wallet containing personal documents and RM45 about 3.20pm on Jan 17 at the steps of Block 201, Phase 2, Taman Sri Maju in Sepanggar.

The eighth charge accused the duo of robbing Mimi Sulastri Hartini 17, of a MyKad and a handphone altogether worth RM100 by using a knife at a junction to Kuala Taman Menggatal about 9.45pm on Dec 7 last year.

For the ninth charge, Saiful and Aslin admitted to robbing Juprina Agang @ Anatoria Agang’s handbag which contained among others, personal documents, keys, a handphone and RM40.

They committed the offence about 6.15am on Jan 12 this year at a bus stop near Sacred Heart Church.

For Aslin’s 10th charge, he admitted robbing Jasnih Muhammad Yusup, 14, using a butcher’s knife about 7pm Oct 8 last year.

The first, second, third, fifth, eight and 10th charges under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code provided a jail term of up to 20 years and also liable to whipping on conviction.

The fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth charges under Section 395 of the same Code provided the same punishment.

Meanwhile the court deferred to Feb 12 the sentencing of Aslin and Saiful on a charge of voluntarily causing hurt when they robbed Norliha Abdul Hamid of her handbag with a knife as the medical report of the victim was not ready.

Inspector Najib Abu Mansur prosecuted in all the cases.

The duo committed the offence at a bus stop in Telipok about 9.30pm on Dec 31, last year.

The handbag contained two MyKad and a birth certificate.

The offence under Section 394 of the same Code provides a jail term of up to 20 years and also liable to fine or whipping on conviction.