A 21-year-old grass cutter was sentenced to 11 months in prison by the Ayer Keroh Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to two charges, including molesting a sleeping neighbour last week.
Muhammad Najib Iqbal Saleh also pleaded guilty to a drug misuse charge after the charges were read before Magistrate Sharda Shienha Mohd Suleiman.
On the first charge, Muhammad Najib was accused of using criminal force against the 41-year-old victim with the intention of outraging her modesty at a house in Pantai Puteri, Tanjung Kling, Melaka Tengah, at about 11.30pm on Sept 16.
The charge was framed under Section 354 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, whipping, or any two of the punishments upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, the victim was asleep in her bedroom when she woke up and found the accused on her bed before he allegedly molested her.
The victim screamed and struggled with the accused, who allegedly became aggressive and refused to let her go, causing a small wound to the lower right side of her lip.
The victim suspected that the accused had entered the house through an unlocked door that was only secured with a metal hammer, which had been left that way to allow her child to enter the house when returning late.
The accused was arrested after the victim lodged a police report over the incident.
