By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Dec 11: A 15-year-old boy has been placed under a six-month good behavior bond after being found guilty of trespassing and attempting to steal diesel from a storage facility owned by a company in Muara Tebas.
The teenager, who is not attending school, appeared before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan and nodded in understanding as the charge was read under Section 67 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The incident occurred around 1.15am on Monday when the boy and his father attempted to gain access to the storage area.
According to case details, an employee of the transport company noticed three unknown individuals entering the workshop through the front barrier.
The employee and a colleague managed to apprehend the teenager, who was standing near a container close to the diesel storage area.
The teenager was handed over to the police for further investigation, while his father managed to escape.
Police investigations revealed that the boy had been persuaded by his father to assist in stealing diesel containers from the restricted premises.
His role was to act as a lookout, ensuring no one witnessed the theft.
However, their actions were foiled when company employees caught them in the act, leading to the boy’s detention.
During court proceedings, it was disclosed that the teenager worked as a fisherman to support himself and admitted to committing the act out of desperation, as he could not afford food.
Taking into account the boy’s lack of prior criminal record, his cooperation, and the fact that this was his first offense, the court imposed a six-month good behavior bond.
The bond was set at RM500 without deposit as a deterrent and to encourage the boy to refrain from repeating such acts.
The prosecution was led by ASP Arman Ibrahim, while the boy was unrepresented in court. — DayakDaily
