A security guard who assaulted his wife after she refused to give him money to buy drugs was sentenced to four months in prison by the Ayer Keroh Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Magistrate Sharda Shienha Mohd Suleiman handed down the sentence after the accused, Faizzul Ridwan Ab Rahman, 36, pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury to his 41-year-old wife.
According to the charge sheet, the incident took place at a house along Jalan Damai in Kampung Paya Rumput, within the Melaka Tengah district, at around 8am last Sunday.
The offence was framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 326A of the same law involving offences committed against a spouse.
Under Section 323, the offence carries a punishment of up to one year in prison, a maximum RM2,000 fine, or both upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Section 326A allows for double the maximum imprisonment period if the offence involves a spouse.
According to case facts presented in court, the accused had asked his wife for money to buy drugs, but she refused because she did not have any cash.
The accused then allegedly used his wife’s phone to contact her mother and younger sibling to borrow money, but both reportedly ended the calls without helping him.
Before that, Faizzul allegedly kicked his wife on the thigh after she refused to speak to her mother about borrowing money.
He also reportedly forced her to go out and find RM100 so he could purchase drugs.
The court further heard that the accused demanded his wife pay a RM1,000 fine related to a separate drug case he is currently facing and threatened to burn her motorcycle if she refused.
Lawyer Muhammad Izzuddin Ab Malek from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK), representing the accused, pleaded for a lighter sentence, saying his client had admitted his wrongdoing.
He told the court that the accused worked as a security guard earning RM1,800 monthly and was supporting two children.
“He regrets his actions and promises to be more diplomatic in handling problems in the future,” the lawyer said.
However, prosecuting officer Inspector Nur Zaidah Muhamad Zailani urged the court to impose a heavier sentence, stressing that a husband should protect his wife instead of hurting her.
The court ultimately sentenced the accused to four months’ imprisonment starting from the date of his arrest last Sunday.
