A local man was sentenced to 28 months’ jail on Tuesday for stealing from his brother out of revenge, whom he suspects to have cleared out his bedroom at their parents’ house.
Senior Magistrate Harnita Zelda Skinner earlier gave Azman Haji Jaya reductions from starting points in sentence for his instant guilty pleas towards charges of stealing BND1,100 in cash, a car, and switching the number plates to the stolen car.
Prosecutor Nurul Husna Abidin shed light to the case in court, where the defendant’s brother had returned home to their parents’ house in STKRJ Kampong Rimba, Gadong at 11.40pm on July 18.
He went to his bedroom and found that his drawer was left open, and his cash missing.
This prompted him to ask his other siblings who confirmed that the defendant dropped by the house earlier to check on his own bedroom.
This led to a police report being lodged.
The defendant was arrested on July 23.
Investigations showed that the defendant went to the family home that day to check on his bedroom. However, to his dismay, he found his belongings were no longer there.
He suspected his brother of having cleared the room out and wanted to take revenge.
CCTV footage also showed the defendant in the act.
The defendant said he gambled some of the money and spent the rest on food.
In a separate incident on July 21, the defendant stole a car from a construction site in Kampong Beribi after his bicycle chain broke.
He opened the car door which was unlocked and started the engine using its key he found in the car’s side pocket.
He then switched the number plates and used the car up until his arrest. – Fadley Faisal
