“I want to see my mother before I serve my sentence, I want to apologise to her,” pleaded a grass cutter after he was sentenced to seven years’ jail and three strokes of the cane by the Kuantan Sessions Court today for injuring his mother last Thursday.

Before the proceeding began, the accused, Mohd Rafi Ab Aziz, 25, who was handcuffed and clad in a grey jacket, appeared to be looking out for someone as he was brought into the courtroom by policemen.

After the charge was read out to him, the accused who was not represented nodded to indicate he understood the charge and pleaded guilty.

According to the charge sheet, the accused had on Jan 4, about 5pm at a house in Bukit Sagu 1, voluntarily caused hurt to his mother, Mea’ah Abd Majid, 64, by hitting her head with the metal shaft of a grass cutter.

As a result, the victim was injured on the right side of her head and received three stitches while being treated at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital.

The accused was charged under Section 324 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 326A, which provides for a jail term of up to 10 years or a fine or whipping, or any two of the punishments.

Before judge Siti Aminah Ghazali made her decision, Mohd Rafi pleaded for a light sentence, saying he was suffering from a hernia and had to support his mother.

However, deputy public prosecutor Haryati Abdullah asked for an appropriate sentence as a deterrent, as the victim is the accused’s natural mother and had needed three stitches for her injury from the incident.

“On the day of the incident, the accused had asked for money from his mother and when it was not given, he became furious and threw things at her but she managed to dodge the flying objects.

“Not satisfied, the accused picked up a grass cutter and hit his mother with its shaft. And I do not think the accused was fending for his mother as every month, he was asking for money from her.

“Therefore, the accused should be given a heavy sentence, also as a deterrent to others,” said the DPP.

After the proceeding, the accused repeatedly voiced his regret for his action to the court officials present and was teary-eyed when told that his mother could not be in court as she was unwell.

- Bernama