PETALING JAYA: A plumber was sentenced to six years jail for hurling a Molotov cocktail into a house in Subang Jaya last week.
Leong Kwang On pleaded guilty to the offence when the charge was read before Judge Mohammed Mokhzani Mokhtar at the Sessions Court here today.
The 30-year-old was charged with mischief by fire with intent to destroy a house belonging to Cheah Chee Meng at Jalan USJ 6/6 at about 10.55pm on Nov 19.
The offence falls under Section 436 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum 20 years' imprisonment or a fine.
Leong, when pleading for a lenient sentence said he just wanted to scare the victim and did not intend to hurt him.
"I am remorseful with my crime and promise not to do it again," he said.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor V. Suloshani pressed for deterrent sentence against the accused.
"This involves public interest and the accused also possessed a previous criminal record involving drugs," she said.
Mokhzani in delivering his judgement said this was a serious crime which could have led to death.
"Even though you did not intend to cause hurt, this could have led to a disaster if the victim was not aware of the incident in the first place," he said.
According to the facts of the case, Cheah, together with his family was at the house when he heard a glass shatter in front of his house.
He rushed to the scene and saw a fire near his porch, which had destroyed part of his white Toyota Vellfire.
Upon checking his closed circuit television footage he saw a man had hurled a Molotov cocktail into his premises before he fled the scene In a Proton Iswara.
Cheah, who claimed that he did not know the accused, lodged a police report afterward.