KUALA TERENGGANU: The High Court here today upheld the nine-year prison sentence and three strokes of the cane imposed on a labourer convicted of raping a seven-month pregnant woman in Kemaman five years ago.

Judge Datuk Hassan Abdul Ghani, in upholding the sentence, dismissed the appeal by Mohammad Sukri Jaafar, 43, and ordered the man to serve the sentence from today.

The man, represented by lawyer Muhammad Nadzir Abdullah, was found guilty of the offence by the Kemaman Sessions Court on Jan 16 this year after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving the case beyond reasonable doubt.

He was charged with raping the woman, then aged 20, at a garbage dumping area in Kampung Mak Chili, Chukai, Kemaman at 10 am on Oct 25, 2019.

The charge was framed under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code which provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Aisyah Mohamad represented the prosecution.