Kuching High Court has sentenced a 16-year-old boy to six years in prison after overturning an earlier order that sent him to Henry Gurney School for a crash that claimed five lives.
The teenager, who was unlicensed, was behind the wheel of a Proton Saga when it collided with another vehicle along Jalan Stutong Baru on January 14, 2026. Five people aged between 16 and 42 were killed.
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The Magistrates' Court had initially ordered the boy to be detained at Henry Gurney School until age 21, but the prosecution appealed — arguing the sentence was too lenient given the gravity of the offence and the rising number of fatal crashes involving underage drivers.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah agreed, setting aside the Henry Gurney order and imposing a six-year prison sentence from June 16, 2025. The court also ordered that the teen be segregated from adult inmates.
The boy had pleaded guilty to reckless driving causing death and driving without a valid licence.
On top of the criminal case, his father was fined RM15,000 and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service for failing to supervise his son properly.
Location: Jalan Stutong Baru, Kuching
️ Outcome: 6 years' imprisonment (overturned from Henry Gurney School detention)
Father's penalty: RM15,000 fine + 100 hours community service
Source: DayakDaily
What do you think — was the High Court right to overturn the lighter sentence?
