The Intermediate Court has sentenced an Indian national to three years’ imprisonment and three strokes of whipping after he pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon.
The sentence was imposed by Judge Pengiran Hajah Masni Pengiran Haji Bahar on July 18 in Criminal Trial No. 10 of 2026.
The defendant, Mohamed Askar Baseer Ahamed, was charged under Section 326 of the Penal Code, Chapter 22, for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to his supervisor, by repeatedly slashing his left forearm with a cleaver at Yazid Mart, Jalan Pandan 4, Kuala Belait, on June 24.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Hajah Siti Mu’izzah Haji Sabli informed the court that the defendant was working as a labourer at the supermarket while the victim was his supervisor. An altercation arose after the victim reprimanded the defendant for using his mobile phone during working hours and instructed him to resume his duties.
Following the altercation, during which the victim slapped and punched the defendant, the defendant ran to the meat station, took two cleavers and returned to where the victim was standing. He repeatedly swung both weapons at the victim, causing injuries to his forearm and chest.
Staff members intervened and disarmed the defendant. The incident was captured on CCTV. The victim required surgery and hospital treatment due to the severity of his injuries.
The defendant had no previous convictions and acknowledged in mitigation that his actions were wrong.
The Prosecution submitted that a custodial sentence and whipping were warranted given the seriousness of the offence. It proposed a starting point of five years’ imprisonment, relying on authorities including Mohd Jaya bin Hassan v Public Prosecutor and Public Prosecutor v Ida Bagus.
The Prosecution highlighted the aggravating circumstances, particularly the defendant’s deliberate decision to arm himself with two meat cleavers, return to confront the victim and launch the attack in a public supermarket during business hours, thereby placing both the victim and members of the public at risk.
Taking into account the guilty plea and the aggravating factors, the Prosecution submitted that not less than three years’ imprisonment and three strokes of whipping was appropriate.
The Court agreed that the appropriate starting point was five years’ imprisonment and five strokes of whipping, having regard to the revenge motive, the use of dangerous weapons and the injuries inflicted.
However, the Court reduced the sentence to three years’ imprisonment and three strokes of whipping because the defendant had pleaded guilty at the first reasonable opportunity and had no previous convictions.
The defendant was accordingly sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and three strokes of whipping.
The custodial sentence was ordered to run from the date the defendant was remanded.
The Court also ordered both cleavers to be forfeited to the State and destroyed.