| Fadley Faisal |

THE Magistrate’s Court yesterday sentenced a local man to four months’ imprisonment, after he pleaded guilty to theft.

Naarul Ralijam bin Haji Ibrahim, 36, was staying at a friend’s house at RPN Kampong Pandan 8, Kuala Belait, where the offence was committed on August 6.

Sometime between 8am and 9am that day, the defendant took a vacuum cleaner, a mobile phone and a vaping device from the premises, which he then brought to another friend’s house.

That same morning, on discovering the theft, the victim called up the defendant, who refused to meet him.

The next day, the victim and his brother went to look for the defendant at the other friend’s house.

The defendant attempted to run away, but was soon overtaken by the victim and his brother, who got into a brief altercation with him.

He made another attempt to flee from them, but when the victim again gave chase, he called for the police to come to his aid.

When the police arrived and learnt that the commotion was due to the defendant’s actions, he was taken into custody.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Syazwani binti Jumat prosecuted the case, while Magistrate Pengiran Hazirah binti Pengiran Haji Mohd Yusof presided over the proceedings.