Court of Appeal Rejects Final Appeal, Former Security Guard Begins Five-Year Prison Sentence Immediately
PUTRAJAYA, Feb 25 — A 73-year-old former security guard has begun serving his five-year prison sentence after the Court of Appeal dismissed his final appeal against his conviction and sentence in a sexual assault case involving a minor.
The decision was delivered by a three-judge panel chaired by Azman Abdullah, which ruled that the Sessions Court’s findings were sound and supported by evidence.
The panel also agreed with the High Court’s earlier decision to uphold both the conviction and sentence.
Following the ruling, the court issued a committal order requiring Muhammad Juwahir @ Juhil to begin serving his sentence immediately.
He had previously been granted bail of RM20,000 pending the outcome of his appeal.
The panel also included Justices Datuk Noorin Badaruddin and Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid.
Offence committed at religious school in Johor Bahru
Court records showed that the offence took place on February 2, 2020, at a religious primary school in Johor Bahru.
The victim, who was 12 years old at the time, was a Singaporean student enrolled at the school.
On January 22, 2024, the Sessions Court found the accused guilty and sentenced him to five years in prison.
The court also ordered him to undergo rehabilitation counselling during his imprisonment.
In addition, he will be placed under police supervision for two years after completing his sentence.
Earlier High Court appeal also dismissed
The High Court had previously dismissed his appeal in August 2024, affirming the conviction and sentence.
He subsequently filed a final appeal at the Court of Appeal, which has now also been rejected.
The accused was represented by lawyer Izleen Ismail, while deputy public prosecutor Zaki Asyraf Zubir represented the prosecution.
The ruling concludes the legal process, and the prison sentence is now in effect.
-wilayah.com.my
