A repeat offender with a history of property-related offences has been sentenced to 4 and a half years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty midway through his trial to two charges of house trespass with intent to commit theft.
Marali bin Bakar was sentenced by Intermediate Court Judge Pengiran Hajah Masni Pengiran Haji Bahar on July 22 after admitting to breaking into a house in Kampong Lumut and a newly developed housing project on separate occasions in 2025.
Marali, who was unemployed at the time of the offences, initially claimed trial to both charges. However, after the prosecution had called its 11th witness, he changed his plea and admitted the offences.
The first offence occurred in early July 2025 at a house in Kampong Lumut.
Marali admitted entering the house at about 8pm and stealing a television, a gramophone and a speaker.
On July 9, 2025, the complainant visited the house and discovered that a gate and the front door had been left open. Upon inspecting the premises, he found the items missing and lodged a police report at Sungai Liang Police Station.
The following day, at about 2.36am, police officers conducting patrols in the area noticed a suspicious man wearing a black shirt and red cap and carrying a black bag. The man attempted to flee after seeing the patrol, but was apprehended and identified as Marali.
The stolen items were not recovered.
The second offence took place sometime between June 19 and July 4, 2025 at a newly developed housing project at Simpang 424, Lot 11204.
Marali admitted entering one of the newly constructed houses with the intention of stealing. He cut and removed electrical cables before entering another house in the development, where he stole a door handle and five Sirus-brand downlights.
The stolen property was subsequently recovered from his residence at Simpang 198-72, B1 JKR 376, Barek Lorong 3, Selatan Seria.
On July 4, 2025, the complainant, discovered that electrical cables had been cut and stolen from one of the houses while inspecting the development. Further inspection revealed that a door handle was also missing.
The incident was reported to police, leading to investigations and Marali’s involvement being established.
The court was told that Marali had numerous previous convictions for property offences dating back to 2006, including offences under sections 379 and 380 of the Penal Code.
He had also been convicted of similar offences in 2019 and 2020. His most recent conviction was in 2024, when he received 12 months’ imprisonment for theft in a dwelling house under Section 380 of the Penal Code.
In sentencing, the court found that Marali was a recalcitrant offender whose offending had escalated from theft-related offences to house trespass with the intention to commit theft.
The court also noted that his plea was entered only after the prosecution had already called 11 witnesses. Although the prosecution argued that he should not receive the usual one-third discount for an early guilty plea, the judge nevertheless granted the one-third reduction.
A starting point of four years’ imprisonment was imposed for each charge, reduced to three years for each following the guilty plea.
The court held that the two offences involved separate occasions and different victims and therefore warranted consecutive sentencing. However, a total sentence of six years was considered excessive.
The court ultimately ordered 1 and a half years of the sentence for the second charge to run consecutively to the three-year sentence for the first charge, with the remaining 1 and a half years running concurrently, resulting in an aggregate sentence of 4 and a half years’ imprisonment.
The sentence was ordered to run from the date Marali was remanded.
The recovered items were ordered to be returned to their rightful owner.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Radin Abdul Malik Wafri Radin Mas Mohamad Sufri appeared for the Public Prosecutor. Marali represented himself and was unrepresented.