KUCHING, Dec 5 — A man suspected of going on a rampage with a meat cleaver at the Kampung Tabuan Lot surau last month has claimed trial in the Sessions Court here.
The 25-year-old pleaded not guilty when the charge under Section 326 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 326A, was read before Judge Noorhisham Mohd Jaafar.
He is accused of voluntarily causing hurt to his 70-year-old granduncle.
Section 326 provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years, as well as a fine or caning, while Section 326A allows for enhanced penalties — up to twice the maximum imprisonment term — for causing hurt to a family member under several specified sections of the Penal Code.
The court fixed January 6 for pre-trial case management.
The alleged offence occurred at the surau at around 7.20pm on November 23.
It is understood that preliminary police investigations revealed the accused had allegedly consumed alcohol outside the surau and became intoxicated prior to the incident.
At around 7pm, he allegedly arrived at the surau carrying a meat cleaver and began acting aggressively.
Witnesses are said to have instructed him to leave, but he refused and became increasingly confrontational.
When the victim observed the situation and reprimanded him, the accused allegedly grew agitated and moved closer towards him, while still holding the cleaver.
Feeling threatened and fearing injury, the victim is said to have thrown hot water at the accused.
This is said to have caused the accused to allegedly hurl the meat cleaver at the victim, striking his left hand and causing fractures to his middle and ring fingers.
Several individuals witnessed the incident, which was also captured on the surau’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) system.
The footage is understood to show the accused behaving aggressively, brandishing the meat cleaver, and the subsequent altercation leading to the injury.
The accused attempted to flee the scene but was pursued and detained by villagers in the area shortly after. — The Borneo Post
