KUCHING: The Magistrate’s Court has ordered a 13-year-old boy to be placed at Tunas Bakti School for three years for breaking into a house to steal at Jalan Selangan Batu last year.
Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan meted out the sentence after reviewing the young offender’s morality report from the Social Welfare Department (JKM).
The boy pleaded guilty to the charge framed under Section 457 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to five years.
If committed with intent to steal, the penalty can extend to 14 years’ imprisonment and a fine upon conviction.
The break-in happened at around 3 am on Dec 10, 2024, when the boy used two paint buckets to climb through an unlocked kitchen window.
He made off with a laptop, a smartphone, and a briefcase containing a phone charger and other work equipment from the living room.
The incident was realised by a 33-year-old complainant, who lodged a police report that led to the boy’s arrest the same day at around 11.30 am in Kampung Sungai Apong.
During the proceedings, the court instructed the boy’s mother to visit her son at Tunas Bakti School once every two months.
Upon completing his sentence, the boy is ordered to be placed under JKM supervision for one year.
