KOTA KINABALU: The Magistrate’s Court here on Friday (Sept 22) slapped a soldier with a RM2,500 fine in default of four months’ imprisonment for assaulting his wife.
Magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie meted the sentence after Mohamad Zul Iskandar Hassan, with the rank of Corporal, pleaded guilty to assaulting his 28-year-old wife at a house in the Lok Kawi army camp in Penampang near here at 9pm on June 4 last year.
It was because he mistakenly suspected his wife of having relations with another man.
Mohamad Zul, 32, was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt, read together with Section 326A of the same Code.
According to the charge sheet, the man had accused his wife of having relations with another man after noticing she was on WhatsApp with someone.
It turned out that the woman was actually chatting with another woman on her mobile phone in order to find a babysitter for their child.
But because of the misunderstanding, the wife was punched on her body, cheek and at the back of her head.
It was also stated on the charge sheet that this was apparently not the first time the woman was assaulted by her husband.
She, however, decided to lodge a police report this time so that action could be taken as well as for the matter to be referred to the Syariah Court for divorce proceedings.
National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) counsel Lim Ming Zoong @ Lawrence, who appeared for the accused, requested the court to impose a lower fine during mitigation.
Inspector Suzie @ Stephanie Kupit, however, urged the court to slap a deterrent sentence as this was not the first assault incident committed by the accused.
