The Intermediate Court handed a 44-month jail sentence to a 32-year-old local man for theft related charges recently.
Abdul Qayyum bin Haji Md Rahim on February 3 pleaded guilty to Prosecutor Abdul Musawwir bin Haji Awang Mahli’s charges.
The charges were trespassing into Brunei International Airport’s surau with intentions of theft on October 20, 2023 as well as trespassing into a shop at The Airport Mall for theft and committing mischief between November 16 and 18, 2023.
Judge Radin Safiee bin Radin Mas Basiuni heard that the defendant walked to the surau from his home in Kampong Manggis around 9pm carrying a sickle.
He approached the donation boxes at the back of the male prayer section and rummaged through them using the sickle, making away with cash.
A public member spotted the defendant and confronted him. The public member told the defendant to leave. The public member lodged a report to the airport police leading to investigations aided by CCTV footage.
The defendant also went to The Airport Mall and asked for food at a restaurant on the third floor around 9pm. The defendant looked around and found a place to eat near a carpet shop.
After eating, he came across an opening at the closed carpet shop.
He squeezed through the opening and rummaged through the shop where he found a can of spray which he used to paint a wall outside the shop.
He entered the shop again and slept until morning.
After waking up, he left taking a doormat with him.
The shop owner discovered the shop had been rummaged through. CCTV footage showed the defendant in action.
The footage was handed over to the police, leading to investigations and the defendant’s arrest. – Fadley Faisal
