BY Fadley Faisal

A 50-year-old local man was sentenced to 15 months’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for outraging the modesty of a six-year-old girl.

Asahrin bin Idris first claimed trial to the charge and only pleaded guilty as Prosecutor Atiyyah Abas was in the midst of producing her fourth witness.

Senior Magistrate Pengiran Hazirah binti Pengiran Haji Mohd Yusof, on handing the sentence, took into account the victim’s tender age, his denial at the first instance leading to the victim’s ordeal of reliving the memory of being sexually assaulted and having taken advantage of the victim’s vulnerability.

The court also noted the defendant’s long list of previous convictions and having shown no remorse or regret for what he had done.

The defendant’s case was also aggravated by the fact that he only pleaded guilty after having absconded from appearing in court.

Prosecutor Atiyyah revealed that the defendant was in the living room of a house in Kampong Delima when he called for the victim on the evening of October 25, 2020. They talked when the defendant suddenly leaned over the victim and sexually assaulted her.

He then gave her a pencil to distract her from the incident and walked away.

The victim told her grandfather of the incident which led to a police report and the defendant’s arrest.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin