The Intermediate Court in Tutong District on Tuesday handed a six years and seven months’ jail sentence to a local with four canings for thefts and disrupting key services.
Mohammad Hasrin bin Chulan was convicted after Prosecutor Ahmad Firdaus bin Mohammad laid out the evidence in court, supported by prosecution witnesses. It was revealed that the defendant stole earthing cables from a tank at Pump House Panaga 2000 on February 2, 2022.
On February 3, 2022 the defendant stole two water pumps from another tank at the same site, leading to disruptions in public water supplies.
While stealing the water pumps, the defendant committed mischief by causing damages. Judge Pengiran Masni binti Pengiran Haji Bahar also convicted the defendant of threatening to attack two workers manning the pump house.
The threat was at first a warning for them not tell anyone about the crimes.
Later, the defendant went up to the workers demanding one of them to hand over his mobile phone and threatening him not to alert anyone about the incident.
Both threats were while pointing a machete at the victims.
The defendant had an accomplice in both incidents who had pleaded guilty and served his sentence.
The court on Tuesday also ordered the defendant to compensate BND2,400 in losses to the Public Works Department or risk serving an additional month in jail, which the defendant confirmed as not able to be settled.
