A Bangladeshi construction worker was fined RM3,500 by the Magistrate’s Court here on Friday after pleading guilty to injuring his Thai girlfriend with a chair and belt at their rented home last week.
The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Nur Afiqah Radhiah Zainurin against the accused, Md Rasal, 41, a divorced father of two, after he admitted to the charge when it was read to him.
According to the charge, the accused had intentionally caused injuries to the victim, Miss Siriphon Aekhiam, using a belt at their residence in Block P, Plaza Melaka Raya Apartments, at around 8.21pm on September 25.
The offence was framed under Section 324 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine, or whipping, or any combination of the punishments upon conviction.
The court was informed that the woman sustained serious injuries after being assaulted with both a chair and a belt, allegedly because she often scolded the accused.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Hanis Aliah Ahmad Kamarulnajuib urged the court to impose a heavy sentence as a deterrent, noting that the accused is a foreign national and that the victim was seriously hurt.
However, defense lawyer Kent Tan appealed for leniency, arguing that his client, who is divorced, has to support two young children aged seven and five, as well as his elderly parents in Bangladesh.
It was revealed that the accused earns about RM2,500 a month, much of which he remits to his family in his home country, while also giving the victim RM500 monthly for shared rent expenses.
The court then ordered Md Rasal to pay the RM3,500 fine or serve seven months in prison if he failed to do so. The accused subsequently paid the fine.
