By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, May 21: The Sessions Court here today rejected the guilty plea of an unemployed man accused of decapitating a cat with a meat cleaver.
During the case mention, Jefrie Drahman, 33, pleaded guilty to two charges read before Judge Musli Abdul Hamid.
However, Jefrie contested the facts of the case presented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Norshafatihah Nor Azmi.
As a result, Musli rejected the accused’s plea and set a new mention date for June 19, for the prosecution to submit relevant documents in accordance with Section 51A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).
The court also scheduled the trial for Oct 10 and 11, and ordered the accused to be remanded at Puncak Borneo Prison until the case is concluded.
According to the first charge, he was accused of decapitating a cat using a meat cleaver without any reasonable cause or authorization from the authorities.
For this charge, he was charged under Section 30(2) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 and punishable under Section 30(4) of the same Act.
If convicted, he could face a fine of not less than RM20,000 and not more than RM100,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.
For the second charge, he was accused under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation by threatening to kill his 70-year-old mother.
Jefrie allegedly committed the offense at their residence on Jalan Tanjong Durian, Kampung Keranji, Bau, around 12.40pm on May 15.
It is understood that Jefrie decapitated his neighbor’s cat out of frustration after his mother urged him to find a job.
Additionally, he reportedly showed the severed cat’s head to his mother while threatening to kill her in the same manner as the cat.
Fearing for her safety, the accused’s mother filed a police report for further action and investigation.
It was also reported that during an initial urine test, the accused tested positive for drugs.
The case is being investigated by Investigating Officer Sergeant Mohammad Asfia Ilias, while the accused is unrepresented by legal counsel. — DayakDaily
