KUALA LUMPUR - A car thief was today sentenced to two years in prison by the Sessions Court here for crashing into the motorcycles of two policemen while trying to escape arrest last month.
Judge Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin handed down the sentence on Lee Soon Heng, 45, who wore a red prison shirt after he pleaded guilty to the charge and ordered the man to serve the prison sentence starting from the date of his arrest on Sept 23.
The accused who is serving a prison sentence for stealing a car, was charged with driving the stolen car and crashing into the motorcycles of two policemen, aged 36 and 28 respectively, at a traffic light in Jalan Segambut here at 12.50pm, Sept 23.
He was charged under Section 307 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and can be fined upon convicted.
According to the facts of the case, during the incident the accused was arrested by two policemen who were riding two motorcycles at the time, before the accused crashed into them to escape.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Nidzuwan Abd Latip asked for an appropriate punishment considering the seriousness of the offence in addition to the accused driving a stolen car.
"The accused is serving a one-year prison sentence for the offence of driving a stolen car. Therefore, a commensurating sentence should be given to the accused," he said.
Lawyer Simret Singh of the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) who represented the accused requested a minimum prison sentence starting from the date of arrest on the grounds that his client had repented and came from a poor family.
"My client apologised to the court for the offence he committed. He also has a lover and an eight-year-old child and is still unmarried.
"Therefore, please consider the minimum prison sentence for my client," said the lawyer. - BERNAMA