Teenagers plead guilty to fighting in front of hotel

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KUCHING: Eleven youths aged between 14 and 18 have pleaded guilty to fighting in front of a hotel at Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg here recently.

However their fate will be made known in February after presiding Magistrate Zaiton Anuar has received the youths’ behavioural and social reports on Feb 18 and Feb 24.

Zaiton yesterday released them on RM10,000 bail with their parents and/or guardians as sureties pending the next court proceeding.

The fight using a knife, iron rods and helmets as weapons around 11.50am on Jan 17 this year was triggered by a misunderstanding over a woman.

According to the brief facts of the case, five or six of the youths rushed into the hotel lobby with the intention to ask for the whereabouts of several hotel guests.

A security guard then asked the group to get out of the hotel as they were disturbing the peace with all the noise they created.

One of the group members, aged 18, then threatened to hurt the security guard – a key complainant in the case – and his co-workers.

Later on, another group of youths rushed down from the hotel’s upper floor and joined the fracas before fleeing from the scene upon arrival of policemen.

The offence under Section 148 of the Penal Code carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail or a fine or both, upon conviction.

Meanwhile yesterday, the 18-year-old accused pleaded guilty to intimidating the 41-year-old security guard, an offence under Section 506 of the Penal Code.

Magistrate Zaiton however deferred judgment because his social report was still pending.

The accused was later released on RM5,000 bail with his parents as sureties pending the submission of his social report on Feb 19.

Inspector Merylene Lindan Andrew Mang prosecuted while the 11 accused persons were not represented.