Fadley Faisal

The Intermediate Court recently sentenced two local men to 36 months’ imprisonment and two canings each, for housebreaking.

Mohammad Arif bin Matussof, 32, and Ahsawan bin Mohammad Suhaily, 28, twice committed housebreaking by night for theft at a house in Kampong Bolkiah ‘A’, Kampong Ayer.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sabrina binti Haji Mahmud’s facts of the case stated that sometime around midnight in January, the two men were walking around Kampong Bolkiah ‘A’, when they came across a house at Jetty Number 5, which appeared to be empty.

Using a crowbar to break the chain and lock on the front gate, they entered the veranda and used the crowbar to prise open the main door of the house.

Once inside, they stole a water filter, a 15HP boat engine and a gas cylinder.

Before leaving the house with the stolen items, the men took a 30HP boat engine and an oil gallon, which they placed below a staircase, with the intention of returning the next day.

They called a water-taxi and left the house with the stolen items.

At 4am, following day, the pair returned with a motorboat and took the items which were hidden under the staircase.

On January 30, the two men and another person went to the same house using a motorboat, looking for more items to steal.

The third person took two fishing nets, while both men removed an air-conditioner from the house.

Having loaded the air-conditioner into the motorboat, they went back up again to steal another air-conditioner.

It was while attempting to carry off the second air-conditioner that they heard someone shouting and coming towards them. They immediately abandoned the air-conditioner and sped away in the motorboat, along with the third person.

Judge Radin Safiee bin Radin Mas Basiuni ordered for the recovered stolen items to be returned to the owner.