James Aja being led outside the court after the sentencing.
SIBU: A 45-year-old farmer was sentenced to a total of 16 months imprisonment by the Sessions Court yesterday after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of dangerous weapon without licence.
Accused James Aja faced two charges under Section 8(a) of the Arms Act 1960 which provides for an imprisonment term not exceeding seven years or fine not exceeding RM10,000 or both upon conviction.
Sessions Court judge Caroline Bee Majanil sentenced him to eight months imprisonment for each charge and ordered the sentence to run concurrently.
James is to serve the sentence at Sibu lock-up.
According to facts of the case, on Jan 9 at about 5.50pm, police officers from the Crime Investigation Department
(CID) raided a house at a longhouse in Sungai Rassau, Batang Igan.
Upon inspection of the house, the police found 11 bullets (12 Bore) inside a black bag in one rattan basket.
Then, on the same day, at 6.10pm, the police seized a shotgun at a sidewalk of a hut near a jetty of the longhouse in Sungai Rassau, Batang Igan.
He was charged with possession of the bullets and the shotgun without arm licence.
In his mitigation, James said that he is married with three children, with two of them still schooling. Thus, he prayed for a lenient sentence.
He said he earned about RM400 every month on average through farming and fishing.
He said he used the gun to protect his farm from wild boar, and so far, he had shot three wild boars for the family’s own consumption.
“I feel remorseful and I promise not to do it again,” he said.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Arif Aizuddin Masrom said appropriate sentence should be meted on the accused regardless of the purpose of the possession of the weapon.
He said the accused must obtain the licence for it so that the use of the weapon can be regulated.
“Without the licence, more harm can be done than
good since the rifle and ammunition are dangerous weapons and can lead to death if it is used wrongly,” he pointed out.