A 41-year-old barber was sentenced to three years’ jail for causing grievous hurt with a machete during a 2021 altercation outside his shop
SEREMBAN: A 41-year-old barber was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for causing grievous hurt to his sister’s boyfriend with a machete in 2021.
Sessions Court Judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court imposed the sentence after hearing submissions from both sides regarding aggravating and mitigating factors.
Kokulan was accused of committing the offence in front of his barber shop at 10.58 pm on December 17, 2021.
He was charged under Section 326 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or whipping.
Defence lawyer B.G. Jayaprakash requested a lighter sentence, citing his client’s clean record and RM2,000 monthly income supporting a wife and two children.
Jayaprakash argued that the victim had initiated the altercation by attempting to attack the accused at his shop.
“The accused was merely defending himself,” he told the court.
The lawyer noted that the victim suffered permanent hand injuries but did not undergo follow-up treatment or physiotherapy.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Khairiah Abdul Razak urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence as a lesson given the offence’s serious nature.
Jayaprakash immediately filed for a stay of execution pending appeal to the High Court.
The court granted the stay and increased bail from RM7,000 to RM15,000. – Bernama
