A 56-year-old man denies slashing a 68-year-old surau caretaker with a machete in Kamunting, facing a potential 20-year jail term.
TAIPING: A man pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to causing grievous hurt by slashing a surau caretaker with a machete last Wednesday.
Kamarulzaman Kamarudin, 56, is accused of attacking Normuda Mod Noor, 68, at Surau Nurul Hidayah, Jalan Bukit Jana, Kampung Bukit Jana, Kamunting, in the Larut, Matang and Selama district at about 2.30 pm on Dec 10.
The charge, framed under Section 326 of the Penal Code, provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and may also carry a fine or whipping upon conviction.
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Deputy public prosecutor Nur Syuhada Muhammad Lutfi proposed bail of RM15,000 with one surety, together with additional conditions prohibiting the accused from approaching the victim and requiring him to report to the nearest police station monthly.
However, National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) counsel Puteri Hikmatul Raudah Dzulaikha Mohamad, representing the accused, sought a reduction of bail to RM2,000, citing that her client is self-employed with a daily income of RM50, has three children and has received psychiatric treatment on several occasions.
Earlier, police arrested the accused after he allegedly attacked an elderly man, who sustained serious injuries to the head and hands. Initial investigations found that the accused has 16 prior criminal records, tested positive for morphine and is a psychiatric patient. – Bernama
