5 teen boys sent to Henry Gurney School for armed robbery

Five teenage boys have been ordered by a Kuching court to be sent to the Henry Gurney School for their involvement in an armed robbery at a convenience store. The Kuching sessions court ruled that two of the boys, aged 18, must remain at the facility until they reach the age of 21. The other three, aged 14 to 15, will be held there for five years.

Judge Noorhisham Jaafar made the decision after evaluating social and behavioral reports provided by the social welfare department. All five pleaded guilty on August 5 to charges under Section 395 of the Penal Code for gang robbery, combined with Section 397, which pertains to robbery involving weapons. The incident occurred on June 1 at approximately 4 am, when the group, along with an unknown accomplice, attacked a 19-year-old shop attendant with machetes and wooden clubs.

The assailants demanded RM1,000 in cash and cigarettes from the worker, who complied before the robbers fled the scene. They also caused damage to the store's CCTV monitor and cash register. The boys were apprehended on July 31. The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Adriana Maisarah Farid, while the teenagers did not have legal representation.