<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Maid badly hurt in robbery: Man gets 8 years' detention
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Murugaian slashed one of his victims all over her face, neck and arms.
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->A MAN who robbed two maids and injured one of them seriously was yesterday put behind bars for eight years, with no chance of an early release.
Murugaian Kandasamy, 50, who could have been given up to 20 years' preventive detention, pleaded with a judge last month not to impose that regime, saying he would rather be caned. But the law does not allow any man who is 50 and above to be caned.
Murugaian, who has a long criminal record with offences ranging from burglary to robbery over the last 35 years, has also been through corrective training, another regime for hardcore offenders.
The prosecution urged District Judge Jasbendar Kaur to sentence him to preventive detention as there were a number of aggravating features in this case.
Preventive detention is for hardcore offenders and those punished under this regime are not eligible for remission on their sentence for good behaviour.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharmila Sripathy said Murugaian had not learnt his lesson as he committed the two robberies within a year of his release from prison for drug consumption, possession, housebreaking and robbery.
One of his victims, Madam Vadivelu Manimekalai, 30, lost the full function of her upper limbs after she was slashed all over her face, neck and arms during the hold-up on March 10.
Murugaian had grabbed the victim by the neck and pushed her onto the sofa. When she screamed, he slashed her with a knife. He then tied her up before helping his accomplice ransack the bedroom.
The victim managed to untie herself and inched her way towards the main door. Murugaian then dragged her by the legs to the bedroom.
In court yesterday, Murugaian said he would return to his family in Malaysia upon his release and pledged that he would not commit any more offences.
On hearing his promise, Judge Kaur told him: 'The next time you come to court, it will be a higher sentence. I hope you mean what you said, and that this will be your last time in committing any kind of offence.' ELENA CHONG
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Murugaian slashed one of his victims all over her face, neck and arms.
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->A MAN who robbed two maids and injured one of them seriously was yesterday put behind bars for eight years, with no chance of an early release.
Murugaian Kandasamy, 50, who could have been given up to 20 years' preventive detention, pleaded with a judge last month not to impose that regime, saying he would rather be caned. But the law does not allow any man who is 50 and above to be caned.
Murugaian, who has a long criminal record with offences ranging from burglary to robbery over the last 35 years, has also been through corrective training, another regime for hardcore offenders.
The prosecution urged District Judge Jasbendar Kaur to sentence him to preventive detention as there were a number of aggravating features in this case.
Preventive detention is for hardcore offenders and those punished under this regime are not eligible for remission on their sentence for good behaviour.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharmila Sripathy said Murugaian had not learnt his lesson as he committed the two robberies within a year of his release from prison for drug consumption, possession, housebreaking and robbery.
One of his victims, Madam Vadivelu Manimekalai, 30, lost the full function of her upper limbs after she was slashed all over her face, neck and arms during the hold-up on March 10.
Murugaian had grabbed the victim by the neck and pushed her onto the sofa. When she screamed, he slashed her with a knife. He then tied her up before helping his accomplice ransack the bedroom.
The victim managed to untie herself and inched her way towards the main door. Murugaian then dragged her by the legs to the bedroom.
In court yesterday, Murugaian said he would return to his family in Malaysia upon his release and pledged that he would not commit any more offences.
On hearing his promise, Judge Kaur told him: 'The next time you come to court, it will be a higher sentence. I hope you mean what you said, and that this will be your last time in committing any kind of offence.' ELENA CHONG
