Judge Norsiah Ujang meted out the sentence on Hadi Hashim, 38, who pleaded guilty to four counts of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon.

Hadi was sentenced to 15 years’ jail and two strokes of the rotan on each count, with the jail sentences to be served concurrently from the date of his arrest on April 20.

He was charged with committing the offence on his mother-in-law, Puasa Yasik, 57, his wife Norwahida Rosli, 33, his sister-in-law Norwadiha Rosli, 32, and his brother-in-law Amirul Iskandar Kamaruzaman, 16.

The offences were committed at a house in Jalan Siakap 5, Kampung Sedili Kecil, here at about 7.45pm on April 14.

The charges were framed under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon.

During mitigation, Hadi’s lawyer Nurshuhadah Mahzan, from the National Legal Aid Foundation, said that on the day of the incident, her client, who had just returned from work, lost his temper when pressed by his mother-in-law over some money amounting to RM4,000.

She said, Hadi regretted his action and surrendered at the Kulai district police headquarters on April 20.

Deputy public prosecutor Irsyad Mardi requested the court to impose an appropriate sentence considering that the action by the accused involved life and because the case was of public interest.