You acted like an animal: Judge admonishes man who robbed and caused death of grandmother
NST
KUALA LUMPUR: An unemployed man was today sentenced to 22 years jail by the High Court for causing the death of a grandmother, whom he had robbed.
M. Sasitharan, 47, pleaded guilty to causing the death of Sinnapillai Sundram, 74, at her home at 01-14-06, Flat Sri Selangor, Jalan San Peng, near here, at 9.10am on Nov 20, 2014.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Shariff Abu Samah during sentencing said: "You are lucky to have a second chance at life. If the prosecution had proceeded with the murder charge against you, you would have been in a very serious situation."
Sasitharan was initially charged with murdering Sinnapillai during a robbery but when the case came up for mention today, the prosecution offered him an alternative charge of culpable homicide.
Mohamad Shariff said he had to impose a deterrent sentence to send a message to both Sasitharan and the public that society does not tolerate such crimes, which have become increasingly rampant.
"You did not show any humanity when you robbed and caused the death of this poor old woman but acted like an animal. You tied her up, taped her mouth, took her jewellery and cash, and continued to ransack her whole house for one hour while she lay helpless before she died.
"To make matters worse, you threw some clothes over her and also took the jewellery she was wearing. She was an old woman and if you had told her to sit down quietly, she would probably have done so, like all other old people instead of putting her through all that suffering,' said Mohamad Shariff.
In further admonishing Sasitharan, who stood in the dock wearing a bright red T-shirt and khaki shorts, he said that the accused never showed any remorse for the heinous crime he had committed and instead, chose to run away with the jewellery and cash which he had stolen, only to be caught by police almost a year after the incident.
"People like you have no place in our society and our society shuns and condemns people like you. Please change when you are in prison and if you are not happy with the sentence, you can appeal but I doubt you will get anywhere."
Mohamad Shariff ordered Sasitharan's sentenced to commence from his date of arrest, Sept 3, last year.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
