By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, April 6: A kitchen helper was charged at the Sessions Court here today for committing mischief by fire with intent to destroy his own house at Jalan Astana here.
Azirul Shamsul Tahir, 28, pleaded guilty to the charge framed under Section 436 of the Penal Code.
However, he told the Court that the fire at his house was an accident.
Therefore, Sessions Court Judge Maris Agan rejected his plea of guilty and fixed May 15 for the mention of the case and allowed the accused to be released on cash bail of RM5,000 with one local surety.
He was found to have intentionally caused damage to the house belonging to his 73-year-old mother at Kampung Malaysia Jaya, at about 8.30pm on March 29.
According to the brief facts of the case, on the day of the incident, the accused was cleaning the house and cutting grass while burning a heap of rubbish. But it was alleged that he did not put the fire out when it got bigger and spread to the wooden wall of the house.
The house was completely destroyed with loss estimated at about RM500,000.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Md Syafique Md Hilmie prosecuted, while the accused was unrepresented by counsel.— DayakDaily
