KUALA LUMPUR: The former leader of a "wolf pack" was jailed 10 years after being found guilty by the High Court on eight terrorism-related offences, including making threats to attack the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Seafield in Subang Jaya, five years ago.
Judge Datuk Noorin Badaruddin, in her decision, said the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt on the case of Mahadi Mamat, 39, who failed to prove legal insanity on his part despite having schizophrenia as confirmed by evidence from a medical witness.
Noorin said she was satisfied with the evidence of Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony, a consultant forensics psychiatrist attached to the forensic unit of Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta.
The witness had summarily said Mahadi had good mental cognitive function when he committed the offences and his mental sanity does not fall under the category of legal insanity as provided in Section 84 of the Penal Code.
She said the totality of evidence on the accused's actions of planting a pistol and pipe bombs at a farm clearly showed he knew what he was doing and he was sane when the offences were committed.
"Although he has a mental disorder, his cognitive function was intact and he understood what he did.
"I have seen the WhatsApp messages of him communicating with members of Sejati Sejiwa. I found he understood his actions and he knew the consequences, by way of him planning and persuading members in the group to join in to execute the offences. It debunks the insanity defence.
"Therefore, this court finds Mahadi guilty of all eight charges against him and the prosecution has successfully proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt," she said, adding that it was fortunate that Mahadi's planned attacks were detected early and did not happen.
The court sentenced Mahadi to 10 years' jail for the first, second, third and seventh charges; six years' jail for the fourth charge and five years' jail for the fifth, sixth and eighth charges.
The judge ordered Mahadi to serve the sentences concurrently from his arrest on May 5, 2019.
In May 2019, Mahadi, who had planned to attack four high-profile individuals and places of worship during the first week of Ramadan, was charged in Kuala Terengganu.
He committed the first to seventh charge at the Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division (E8), Menara 2 in Bukit Aman and the eighth charge at Kampung Teris in Terengganu from Jan 7, 2019, to May 5 the same year.
Earlier, defence lawyer Farida Mohammad said it was unsuitable for Mahadi to be handed a lengthy sentence due to his mental condition.
"He needs to be rehabilitated and incarceration is not the solution. He had given cooperation to the police and there are no facts to show that he had joined, became a member of a terrorist group, was recruited by any entity or gone overseas to join any group.
"He studied until Form 3 but did not complete his studies and does not have any other qualification. Before his arrest, he worked at an oil palm plantation.
His wife is unable to work as she has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus," she said.
Co-lawyer Khairul Naim Rafidi asked the court to give Mahadi the chance to repent and reform.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohammad Fakhrurrazi Ahmad Salim asked the court to impose a jail term of 10 to 12 years on Mahadi.
He said Mahadi had committed serious offences, some carrying jail terms of between 40 and 30 years and that he had led investigators to where a pistol and six pipe bombs were planted at a farm.
He asked the court to consider that the trial spanned five years which saw three different presiding judges while another deputy public prosecutor had taken over.