TAWAU: A man was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment by the magistrate's court here after pleading guilty to criminal intimidation of his son in August.
Magistrate Don Stiwin Malanjum imposed the sentence after receiving a guilty plea from the accused, Ardi Aris, 32, under Section 506 of the Penal Code.
According to the charge, the accused was alleged to have made a criminal threat with the intention of causing fear to his son, Zack Azroy, 13, by brandishing a knife at their family home on Jalan Tiku, near here, at 9am on Aug 4.
For this offence, he was charged under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment or a fine or both. The prosecution was conducted by the Tawau district police headquarters Crime Investigation Division officer, Assistant Superintendent Nur Intan Jamrin, while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.
Based on the facts of the case, the incident occurred when the accused went to his former in-law's house and had suddenly rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a knife and approached the victim while brandishing and instructing him to pray.
The frightened victim complied with his father's instructions before his aunt contacted the police.
The accused, who works at a car wash facility and is divorced from his wife, had previously been referred to the Mesra Bukit Padang Hospital in Kota Kinabalu due to suspected mental health issues.
In his appeal, the accused requested the court to consider a more lenient sentence, claiming he had repented and regretted his actions.
The court subsequently ordered the imprisonment sentence to take effect from the date of arrest, which was Aug 4, 2023.