KUCHING: After pleading guilty to stealing 15 gas cylinders from a restaurant, a local man was sentenced to six months in prison by the Magistrate’s Court here today.
When a charge under Section 380 of the Penal Code was read before Magistrate Zubaidah Sharkawi, accused Lu Jin Peng, 30, made the guilty plea.
According to the charges, he made the offence at a 24-hour cafe in RH Plaza at around 2.48 am on January 3.
If convicted, he could face up to ten years in prison and a fine.
Zubaidah ordered the accused to serve his prison term starting from today.
According to the case’s facts, the complainant, who is the shop’s owner, was notified by his staff that 15 of their gas barrels had been stolen and lost during the incident.
The complainant next checked the closed circuit television (CCTV) and discovered that the gas canister in question had been removed by an unidentified male.
According to the video, the accused was seen loading all the gas canisters into a small vehicle.
With the theft the complainant reportedly suffered a loss of about RM2,200.
Four gas canisters were discovered behind the accused’s house by the police after the accused was successfully apprehended at around 4.52 pm on the same day.
Inspector Nur Syafiqa Nyaie Ilin, the Prosecuting Officer requested the court to give a deterrence sentence as a lesson.
