Five men, including three brothers, have been sentenced to one year and eight months in jail for vandalising a woman’s grave at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Riam, Miri.
The five were identified as Mat Abdul Rahman and his younger brothers Muhammad Iwan and Bujang, as well as Mohammad Shajiry Abdullah and Muhammad Khairul Abdullah.
A 16-year-old younger brother of the trio also pleaded guilty to the offence at the Miri Magistrate’s Court on Monday (October 26).
All six were charged under Section 426 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of five years, a fine, or both upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, a 30-year-old man lodged a police report on September 3 after discovering that his late mother’s grave at Roman Catholic Cemetery 2 in Riam had allegedly been broken into and damaged.
The complainant said his uncle had called him at about 1.30pm that day to inform him of the incident.
Photographs of the damaged grave showed ceramic tiles at the lower part of the wall on the left corner had been smashed, leaving a hole believed to have been made to search for valuables. The deceased’s clothing was also found scattered on top of the grave.
Police subsequently arrested all six suspects based on information and intelligence gathered. A torchlight, two hammers, including a sledgehammer, and a screwdriver were seized.
Further investigations revealed that the grave was vandalised at about 3.30am on September 2. The group was also linked to similar incidents at the Methodist Cemetery Riam, Bahai Cemetery Riam and BEM Cemetery Riam.
Five of the suspects were sentenced to one year and eight months in prison, while the 16-year-old was released on RM1,000 bail with his parents as sureties.
The teenager’s case was postponed until November 25, pending the submission of a probation officer’s report.
None of the accused were represented by lawyers in court. Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Farhan Mohd Pauzi appeared for the prosecution.
