THE Magistrate's Court in Penang today sentenced a social media influencer to one month's jail and a fine after she was found guilty of possessing a stolen cell phone belonging to her ex-boyfriend in April last year.
Magistrate Nadratun Naim Mohd Saidi imposed the sentence on Sarah Leo Ee May, 34, after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving the case beyond reasonable doubt at the end of the full trial.
The court ordered the jail sentence to commence from the date of conviction, and the accused would be jailed for eight months if she failed to pay the fine, reported Berita Harian.
In its decision, the court stated that the accused's statement was only in the form of empty denials and fabrications, while the overall evidence showed that the accused possessed stolen goods as alleged in the charge.
In addition, the defence's application to postpone the execution of the sentence was rejected after the court was of the opinion that the reasons presented, including the responsibility of caring for parents, were not considered special circumstances, to allow the court to exercise its discretion to postpone the execution of the sentence and ordered it to be carried out immediately.
Earlier, during the proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Danial Amir Saad requested the court to impose a proportionate sentence on the accused given that the case had gone through a full trial with four prosecution witnesses called to give evidence.
"Although the accused was not convicted under Section 379 of the Penal Code as in the original charge, a conviction under Section 411 of the Penal Code is still a serious offence because it involves stolen property that has value and interest to the original owner.
"I also request that the sentence imposed should be a deterrent sentence, to teach the community not to take the offence of possessing stolen goods lightly.
"Such a sentence is important to reflect the public interest and avoid the perception that the offence can be taken lightly," he said.
Meanwhile, in the mitigation appeal, lawyer Cheah Eng Soon, who represented the accused, requested a reduced sentence on the grounds that the accused is a single mother, raising a daughter and has a mother with cancer who requires intensive care.
He also requested the court to consider humanitarian factors since the accused had no previous criminal record, had cooperated well throughout the investigation and regretted her actions.
The media on June 13 last year reported that Sarah Leo was charged with stealing a mobile phone worth RM2,000 from a vehicle in a hospital parking lot on April 26, under Section 379 of the Penal Code.
However, after a full trial, the court convicted her under Section 411 of the Penal Code for possession of stolen property which carries a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine, or both. - November 6, 2025
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