The Court of Appeal three-man bench, led by Justice Mohd Zawawi Salleh, dismissed Muhammad Amirul’s final appeal to be bound over for good behaviour.

The appellate court had upheld the decision of the Johor Bahru High Court in September last year to order Amirul, 19, a labourer, to be sent to Henry Gurney School in Telok Mas, Malacca, until he is 21.

The High Court had set aside the one-year jail sentence imposed by the Sessions Court on Amirul and substituted it by placing him in the correction school.

Amirul, from Tumpat, Kelantan, pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court to 14 counts of posting insulting comments against Tunku Ismail on his Facebook account, “Miyo Castello”, with the intention of hurting the prince’s feelings and also the Johor royal institution.

His lawyer, Hassan Abdul Karim, told reporters that Amirul had spent three months in jail before his case was brought to the High Court, adding that his client would reach 21 years of age in a year and five months.

He said Amirul would be re-taking his SPM examination at the correction school.

Earlier, Hassan told the court that the High Court’s decision to send his client to Henry Gurney School was improper and irregular under the law.

He said Amirul regretted his action and was remorseful, and was ready to apologise to Tunku Ismail.

Justice Zawawi asked if Amirul had apologised, to which Hassan replied his client was not given an opportunity to do so at the High Court.

“You must remember that his original sentence by the Sessions Court was one year’s jail,” said Zawawi.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Zain Ibrahim asked the court to maintain the High Court’s decision, saying the High Court judge did not make any error in his decision.

He said the court had to send the right message to the public.