Kuala terengganu: The Kuala Terengganu High Court has reduced the prison sentence of a maintenance worker from seven years' jail to 10 months imprisonment for causing grievous hurt to his late nephew. Judicial Commissioner (JC) Yusrin Faidz Yusoff partially allowed Md Zaidi Taib's appeal for a reduction of his custodial sentence imposed on him by the Sessions Court in 2024, after ruling that the seven years' imprisonment was manifestly excessive.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, JC Yusrin Faidz also ordered Md Zaidi, 58, to pay a fine of RM10,000 in default of six months' imprisonment, as well as compensation of RM25,000 to the victim's family. Failing to comply, he will serve an additional six months' imprisonment. The Sessions Court found Md Zaidi guilty of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Khairuddin Rani, 40, at a house in Kampung Durian Mas Manir, Kuala Terengganu, at 1.15 pm on February 2, 2023.

In his grounds of judgment dated April 13, which was uploaded on the judiciary's website, JC Yusrin Faidz stated that Md Zaidi caused grievous hurt to his nephew using a wooden stick, resulting in fractures to both arms. The JC explained that the assault stemmed from a long-standing family dispute over land ownership, which arose from family conflict rather than unprovoked aggression.

He also noted that there had been significant developments since the trial and after the conviction, particularly the victim's passing and his widow's desire to settle the case amicably. JC Yusrin Faidz highlighted that the willingness to make amends shows genuine remorse and a commitment to repairing the harm caused, which holds particular significance in the context of a family dispute. Md Zaidi's offer to pay RM25,000 in compensation to the victim's family was seen as a gesture of remorse and reconciliation.