JOHOR BARU: Eight triad members, including seven minors, were charged in the Magistrate's Court here today for injuring three 15-year-old teenagers.
Lim Jian Yau, 20, pleaded guilty to three charges of hurting the teenagers by hitting them using his hands and feet in the bushes behind the Taman Mutiara Rini playground in Skudai at 8pm on June 15.
The court imposed a fine of RM1,400 for each charge or four months' jail if he failed to pay the fines.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Adriana Azrin led the prosecution, and the accused was represented by lawyers Jason Tan Ka Yan and Mohamed Imran Mohamed Sam.
According to the facts of the case, the victims were at a mall in Skudai when 10 youths tried to recruit them to join a triad, and when they refused, the three teenagers were forced into a car and physically assaulted.
Meanwhile, in a separate court, seven teenagers aged between 15 and 18 pleaded not guilty to nine charges of injuring the same victims using PVC pipes and criminal force with intent to outrage the victims' modesty.
The charges were framed under Sections 323 and 324 of the Penal Code for causing hurt and Section 354 of the same Code for outraging modesty.
The seven teenagers were accused of committing the offences behind a futsal court at Taman Keindahan, Skudai, at 7pm on June 15.
If found guilty, the court could impose a good behaviour order against the accused, discharge them with a warning, send them to Henry Gurney School or order them to pay fines.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Afiqah Musa appeared for the prosecution, and Tan and Mohamed Imran represented all seven accused.
Magistrate Nur Fatin Mohamad Farid allowed the teenagers to be released on bail of RM1,000 each. They were also asked to report to the nearby police station once a month and not to disturb the prosecution witnesses.
The court fixed July 29 for case mention.