By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Oct 6: A 54-year-old unemployed man who threatened to kill his own brother while wielding a parang was sentenced today to one week’s imprisonment and fined RM5,000 by the Magistrate’s Court.
Erik Maang Dring pleaded guilty as soon as the charge was read out. Magistrate Nureina Syafika Mohd Najib ruled that he must serve a further two months behind bars if he fails to pay the fine.
The incident occurred at around 9.30am on Oct 4 in Kampung Sarig, Jalan Padawan.
The court heard that the 41-year-old victim had approached Erik after finding flower clippings and other rubbish dumped beneath his house.
The complaint quickly escalated into a shouting match.
Furious at being reprimanded, Erik went to his vehicle, took out a parang and confronted his brother with it, saying, “Come here, I’ll kill you.”
Terrified for his safety, the victim reported the matter to the police, leading to Erik’s arrest. Investigators found that several of the victim’s family members had seen the confrontation, and the victim’s wife had photographed Erik holding the blade.
Erik was charged with criminal intimidation under Section 503 of the Penal Code, punishable under the second part of Section 506.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ jail, a fine, or both.
Court records indicate that this is not Erik’s first brush with the law. In 2022, the Kuching Magistrate’s Court jailed him for six months after he admitted to molesting a 27-year-old woman.
Reports at the time said he was working as an e-hailing driver and was charged under Section 354 of the Penal Code with using criminal force with intent to outrage the woman’s modesty.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Aidil Akmal Sharidan prosecuted while the accused was not represented by counsel. — DayakDaily
