High Court upholds 10-year sentence for businessman who caused grievous harm to pregnant wife, leaving her in a coma in 2021 incident.
JOHOR BAHRU: The High Court here today upheld the conviction and 10-year jail sentence of a businessman for causing serious injury to his pregnant wife, leaving her in a coma, four years ago.
Judge Atan Mustaffa Yussof Ahmad made the ruling after dismissing the appeal by Rosmaini Abd Raof, 42, against the conviction and jail sentence imposed by the Sessions Court.
The court also dismissed the prosecution’s cross-appeal to increase the jail sentence after finding that the 10-year jail sentence against Rosmaini was sufficient.
When handing down the decision, Judge Atan Mustaffa said that after examining the records of the proceedings and the arguments presented by the defence, there was no sufficient basis to disturb the trial court’s findings and decision regarding the conviction and sentence.
However, the court allowed a stay of execution of the sentence and set an additional bail of RM10,000, bringing the total to RM25,000.
Rosmaini was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Jahidah Nordin Nordin @ Sylvester, 46, who was 10 weeks pregnant then, by hitting her head, face and hands and kicking her at an apartment in Kampung Aman, Larkin, here at 6 am on May 4, 2021.
Jahidah gave birth to a baby boy via cesarean section on Nov 30, 2021.
The charge was framed under Section 325 of the Penal Code, which provides imprisonment for up to seven years and a fine, and read together with Section 326A of the same code, which carries a prison sentence of double the maximum period according to the offence section.
The Sessions Court had found Rosmaini guilty of the offence on Dec 9 last year, and he was sent to jail to serve the 10-year imprisonment.
Last Feb 25, the High Court granted Rosmaini’s application to stay the execution of the prison sentence pending his appeal against the conviction and sentence at the High Court.
Rosmaini was previously jailed for 79 days after the Sessions Court convicted her of the charge on Dec 9 last year.
Rosmaini and Jahidah, a former government employee, are now divorced.
Lawyers Kamal Hisham Ja’afar, Muhammad Nor Tamrin and Nurainaa Kamilah Zalizan represented Rosmaini, while the prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutors Umar Faiz Abdul Kohar and Siti Fatimah Mamu. – Bernama
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