26-year-old convict who will also be whipped three times to serve term from remand date last Oct 8

KUCHING: A 26-year-old man was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and three strokes of the rotan after he pleaded guilty to raping his friend’’s wife.

The Sessions Court judge Alwi Abdul Wahab ruled that the accused must serve his sentence from the date of his remand — Oct 8, last year.

The brief facts of the case, which was presented by the prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Carl Patrick Ramesh, stated that Saptu Lawrance Buguk from Kampung Senah Negeri (Annah Rais) in Jalan Padawan had entered his friend’s house, holding a machete which he then placed on the chair near the doorway.

He then forcibly dragged his friend out of the house and locked the door. Once his friend was out of sight, he then proceeded to the kitchen when his friend’s wife was cooking. He forced her into the bathroom and raped her.

When he had satisfied his lust he quickly left the house.

Curious, the judge asked him: When you locked him (husband) out, what did he do?

Saptu: He did not do anything.

Judge: You mean he just kept quiet after what you did to his wife? Are you a friend of the couple?

Saptu: They are all my friends.

When the judge asked if he had been to the house before, Saptu said: “Yes.  But the husband doesn’t mix around with other people except me. I know the family very well”.

A party from Tapah police station arrested Saptu at 1.45pm on Oct 2, last year.

A doctor at the Sarawak General Hospital meanwhile examined the woman on the day the offence was committed, and confirmed there was a fresh tear in her private part ‘caused by blunt penetration’.

The offence was committed between 6.30pm and 6.45pm on Sept 29, last year.

When the case was first heard Saptu was released on RM15,000 bail in two sureties who must have fixed income of at least RM2,000 and must also have fixed address.

Rape, which comes under Section 376 of the Penal Code, is punishable with not less than five years’ jail but not more than 20 years, and whipping.