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2017 MarsdenLR 2147

MAHKAMAH MAJISTRET TANGKAK
PENDAKWA RAYA LWN. KONG KEAN CHONG
[Kes Jenayah No: JE-83RS-51-08/2017]



A guilty plea waives the right to appeal conviction but allows for appeal against sentence severity.

Headnote:The statute involved is Section 411 of the Penal Code which pertains to possession of stolen property. The accused pleaded guilty to three charges regarding the possession of money knowing it to be stolen, leading to a conviction. The court evaluated factors related to sentencing including the accused's previous convictions and the impact of a guilty plea, determining appropriate concurrent sentences of imprisonment. Finally, the appeal against the conviction and sentence was dismissed as the decisions were justified.

Table of Content
1. court exercised discretion based on guilty plea and past criminal record. (Para 7)
2. limitations on appeal relate to conviction versus sentence. (Para 8)
3. final decision to dismiss the appeal is justified. (Para 9)
4. previous records influence judicial sentencing. (Para 11 , 12 , 13 , 15)
5. judicial discretion in sentencing must reflect public interest. (Para 16 , 19)
6. the sentence serves as a deterrent for repeated offenses. (Para 18)

[7] Setelah mempertimbangkan rayuan mitigasi Tertuduh dan hujahan pihak pendakwaan, dan setelah mengambil kira fakta kes dan rekod kesalahan lampau Tertuduh, Mahkamah menjatuhkan hukuman penjara 6 bulan bagi pertuduhan pertama, hukuman penjara 8 bulan bagi pertuduhan kedua dan hukuman penjara 12 bulan bagi pertuduhan ketiga dan telah diperintahkan bahawa hukuman penjara berjalan secara serentak, tetapi bermula dari tarikh Tertuduh selesai menjalani hukuman-hukuman yang dijatuhkan bagi pertuduhan- pertuduhan yang sebelumnya di Mahkamah-mahkamah lain.

[8] Berikut adalah alasan saya dalam mencapai keputusan tersebut:-

Rayuan terhadap Sabitan dan hukuman

[9] Notis Rayuan Tertuduh bertarikh 6 September 2017 menyatakan bahawa Tertuduh merayu terhadap sabitan dan hukuman yang dikenakan.

[10] s 305 Kanun Prosedur Jenayah memperuntukkan bahawa "apabila Tertuduh mengaku salah dan telah disabitkan oleh seseorang Majistret terhadap akuan itu, maka tiada sebarang rayuan boleh dibuat kecuali berkenaan berat atau sahnya hukuman itu".

[11] Berdasarkan peruntukkan ini, Tertuduh adalah dihalang dari membuat sebarang rayuan berkenaan sabitan setelah pengakuan salah beliau diterima dan Tertuduh telah disabitkan atas satu kesalahan. Perkara ini dijelaskan dalam kes Danh Coi & Ors v. PP, [2017] 1 CLJ 464 , di mana Mahkamah Tinggi telah memutuskan bahawa:-

"[9]s 305 of the Criminal Procedure Code prevents a convicted person from appealing against his conviction if he had pleaded guilty to the charge, such person may however appeal to the extent or legality of the sentence. By pleading guilty to the charge, they are deemed to have waived their right to question the legality of their convictions."

Kewajaran Hukuman Yang Dikenakan Terhadap Tertuduh

[12] Dalam menjatuhkan hukuman dalam perenggan 8, saya telah mengambil kira faktor-faktor berikut:-

Adalah menjadi undang-undang mantap bahawa Pengakuan Salah oleh seseorang Tertuduh mewajarkan pengurangan atau diskaun terhadap hukuman yang bakal dikenakan Mahkamah. Prinsip berkenaan pemberian diskaun bagi kes-kes pengakuan salah sebagaimana yang dinyatakan dalam kes PP v. Ravindran & Ors, adalah seperti berikut:-

"(i) The general rule is that an accused person who pleads guilty is entitled to a discount;

(ii) A plea of guilty would entitle the accused to a discount of between 1/3 to 1/4 of the sentence;

(iii) Failure on the part of a judge in not granting credit or discounts may result in the judge not exercising his discretion in sentencing judicially;

(iv) The credit or discount to be given in favour of the accused person is not on the maximum sentence imposed by law but rather on a sentence which would have been imposed on the accused if he had claimed trial."

[13] Mahkamah dalam kes ini mengambil maklum bahawa pengakuan salah Tertuduh telah menjimatkan masa dan kos Mahkamah. Namun, Mahkamah juga berpendapat bahawa rekod kesalahan lampau Tertuduh dalam jenis kesalahan yang sama juga perlu diimbangi Mahkamah dalam menentukan jumlah hukuman yang wajar dikenakan terhadap Tertuduh. Dalam hal ini, Mahkamah merujuk kepada kes PP v. Jafa bin Daud , , di mana Mahkamah memutuskan bahawa:-

"A "sentence according to law" means that the sentence must not only be within the ambit of the punishable section, but it must also be assessed and passed in accordance with established judicial principles. In assessing sentence, one of the main factors to be considered is whether the convicted person is a first offender It is for this purpose that before passing sentence, a Magistrate

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