| Fadley Faisal |

THE Intermediate Court sentenced a local man to jail with whippings last Saturday, after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges involving theft and related offences. However, he denied a charge of robbery.

Judge Radin Safiee bin Radin Mas Basiuni handed 36-year-old Mohammad Rahmat bin Abdul Rahman, a 85-month jail term with two strokes of the cane.

DPP Hajah Siti Mu’izzah binti Haji Sabli revealed that the defendant had committed house-breaking by night for theft at an address in Kampong Lugu on February 7, 2019.

He also commited the theft of five vehicles in February 2019, one of which was from a house in Beribi, two from different commercial buildings, one from the compound of Penanjong Camp in Tutong and a Royal Brunei Police Force motorcycle from a house in Rimba.

On one occasion, after the defendant made away with the vehicle from the commercial building in Sengkurong, he stopped at Kampong Junjongan to steal a pair of licence plates from another vehicle. He changed the stolen vehicle’s licence plates with the stolen licence plates.

The defendant also committed two house trespass offences in December 2018, one of which was to annoy the occupant in Rimba, and the other for theft at Pasir Berakas.

The defendant denied one charge of robbery to which Judge Radin Safiee will fix dates for trial on April 13.