KANGAR: A senior citizen with the title "Datuk" was fined RM5,500 by the magistrate's court here yesterday, after pleading guilty to criminal trespass and criminal intimidation in August last year.
Magistrate Ana Rozana Mohd Nor imposed a fine of RM2,000 on Othaman Mohamed, 63, for the first charge and ordered him to serve six months in prison if he fails to pay the fine.
For criminal intimidation, the court fined him RM3,500, with an additional eight-month prison sentence in the event of non-payment.
According to the first charge, Othaman was accused of criminal trespass by entering a house owned by a 42-year-old man in Arau at 10.23pm on Aug 29, 2023.
For that offence, Othaman, who is from Banting, Selangor, was charged under Section 447 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment, or a fine of up to RM3,000, or both upon conviction.
For the second charge, he was accused of criminal intimidation by threatening the same man with the intent to cause alarm, at the same time and location.
The charge, under Section 506 of the Penal Code, provides for a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment, or fine, or both, if convicted.
Earlier, National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) lawyer Azira Aziz, representing Othaman, appealed for the minimum fine for both charges, stating, among other things, that he has a wife and is supporting four children still in university.
She also informed the court that Othaman currently runs a small business with an unstable income as his travel agency ceased operations during the Covid-19 pandemic.-- BERNAMA