BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Magistrates’ Court yesterday sentenced a man to serve nine months in jail after the defendant pleaded guilty to stealing chocolate bars.

The court document states that on May 10, a convenience store employee saw the defendant Waliuddin Hassan, 29, putting some items into his trouser but upon being confronted, the defendant fled the store.

Waliuddin escaped into a nearby house only to be detained by an occupant there after being alerted by the shop employee that the defendant is a thief. While being brought back to the store, the defendant put up a struggle to escape but failed.

The police came to the store after the shop employee reported the theft. Investigation found that the defendant took 14 chocolate bars from the store and he had intended to sell the items.

During the proceedings yesterday, Waliuddin told the court that he committed the theft because he needed the money for bus fares and picking up his laundry. In his mitigation, he sought for a non-custodial sentence and promised not to re-offend.

This is Waliuddin’s fifth offence for theft in a building since 1999.

Last year, the defendant was sentenced to serve four months in jail after he admitted to stealing 11 chocolate bars and milk formula. In sentencing the defendant yesterday, the presiding Senior Magistrate Hj Nabil Daraina PDH Badaruddin said that any measure of fine would not be appropriate. The court ordered Waliuddin serve the nine months in jail with immediate effect.

The Brunei Times