BALING: A serial arsonist who instilled widespread fear among villagers in the Kupang subdistrict for nearly a month was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Sessions Court today after he pleaded guilty to three counts of causing mischief by fire.
The accused, Afif Jazimim Jamaluddin, 23, entered a guilty plea to three separate charges of setting fire to motorcycles in three separate incidents between Dec 24, 2024, and Jan 2, this year.
For the first charge, he pleaded guilty to setting fire to Modenas Kriss and SM Sport motorcycles belonging to Mazlan Saad and a Honda EX5 motorcycle owned by Nafisah Saad.
He committed the offence at about 3.30am on Dec 24, 2024, at a house in Kampung Pisang, Kupang.
The accused later pleaded guilty to a charge of causing mischief by fire on a Honda EX5 motorcycle belonging to Wahab Md Hasan at about 3.15am on Dec 17, 2024, at a house in Kampung Jerai, Kupang.
Afif also pleaded guilty to the third charge of setting fire to a Modenas Kriss motorcycle belonging to Zaherah Jusoh, at about 3.30am on Jan 2, at a house in Kampung Hangus, Kupang.
All charges were framed under Section 435 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years upon conviction and is liable to a fine.
Afif pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him by a court interpreter before Judge Najwa Che Mat.
The accused, clad in orange lock-up attire, subsequently nodded when the court interpreter showed him pictures of the crime scenes.
None of his family members were spotted in the court's public gallery throughout the proceeding.
Deputy public prosecutor Amirul Halimi Md Salleh, who appeared for the prosecution, urged the court to impose a just punishment on the accused.
Amirul informed the court that the prosecution is waiting for instructions for the other fire cases linked to the accused.
In mitigation, counsel Intan Nursyafina Baharudin from the National Legal Aid Bureau asked the court to consider the accused's guilty plea, which saved the court's time.
"The accused is the eldest child of four and has been unemployed. He is supporting his 43-year-old mother and 52-year-old father.
"I believe the accused is remorseful for his act. Therefore, I wish to plead to the court to pass down a minimum jail sentence and for the imprisonment to run concurrently," she said.
Before passing down the sentence, Najwa asked Afif if he wished to make any appeal, but the accused just shook his head.
The court subsequently sentenced Afif to four years' imprisonment for each charge from the date he was arrested on Jan 20, 2025, and ordered the sentences to run separately.
The accused was calm as he was led out of the courtroom.
Earlier, the accused arrived at the Baling Session Court at about 8.30am in a police van escorted by armed policemen.
On Jan 22, Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said the suspect, detained in Kupang had admitted to setting fire to eight homes in Baling.
He was reported as saying the suspect confessed to setting fire due to resentment over being bullied at work and ostracised by the local community.
He added that of the 10 reported fires, one was unrelated, eight were started by the suspect and one was caused by flames spreading from one of the fires started by the man.
It was reported that in total nine properties, 18 motorcycles and two cars were destroyed in the fires.
