BALIK PULAU: A promoter, caught on video splashing hot water on a man with Down syndrome last Friday, was sentenced by the Sessions Court here today to 10 years' jail.
Judge Ahzal Fariz Ahmad Khairuddin also fined Oo Saw Kee, 39, RM6,000 in default of 12 months jail., after she pleaded guilty to committing the offence.
Ahzal, in his judgement, said what Oo did was serious, cruel and inhumane, especially against a disabled person. He added that Oo had done what she did without any form of provocation.
"In this case, the court needs to take into consideration the public interest rather than personal interest of the accused.
"The sentence serves not only as a lesson to the accused but also to society out there, not to repeat similar action against disabled individuals," he said.
Oo had immediately admitted to the offence when the charge was read out to her by the court interpreter.
She pleaded guilty to intentionally inflicting serious injury on 33-year-old A. Solairaj by splashing hot water on him which can cause burns at 9.20am inside the lift of an apartment in Jalan Rajawali, Bayan Lepas on April 19.
She was charged under Section 326 of the Penal Code, which is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 20 years and subject to a fine or whipping as well, upon conviction.
Lawyer Edric Loo, who acted pro bono for Oo, pleaded for a minimal jail sentence from the date of his client's arrest.
He also told the court that Oo works as a promoter, earning RM1,500 monthly, with no one under her care.
State prosecution director Mohd Nordin Ismail, meanwhile, pressed for a heavy sentence, saying that the offence committed by Oo was 'very serious and cruel', more so involving a disabled person.
Mohd Nordin said the incident went viral, with the majority of comments criticising the actions of the accused.
Both of the accused and victim, said Mohd Nordin, were living in the same apartment block since 2014, but not known to one another.
"The victim may be disabled and weak, but that does not mean that society should shun him. Instead, society should help these people," he said.
Mohd Nordin said the victim is still being treated for the burns on his right shoulder, back and neck.
"Just imagine the pain he is going through, and the permanent scar left by the burns," he said.
He also openly read out a witness impact statement by the victim's sister, A. Krishna Armi, 23, who wanted a harsh punishment for the pain her brother was going through.
"It saddens and pains me to see my brother's condition now, with burn marks on various parts of his body. His movement is restricted, and he often cries out in pain. He could not sleep or rest like normal.
"As a disabled person, his thinking is not the same as a normal person. He is asking why such things happened to him and what wrong he did," she said.
Krishna Armi said what happened to her brother had taken a toll on the whole family, especially since they are not a well-to-do family.
"We want a harsh punishment to serve as a lesson to everyone out there for the scar my brother has to live with all his life.
"We fear that a lenient sentence will lead to possible revenge by the accused in future as we are staying in the same area," he said.
It was reported that police detained a woman last Friday after she was caught on video splashing hot water on a man with Down syndrome inside the lift of an apartment.
The incident caused the man to suffer burns on his body. The victim is now in a stable condition.
The victim had complained to his sister that a woman had splashed hot water on him while they were inside the lift.
His sister then lodged a police report.