Judge shows compassion

JAKARTA (JP): A West Jakarta teenager convicted of assault had his jail term reduced from nine to seven months after he pleaded with the judge to let him out in time to see his wife give birth.

Judge Eko Wardojo of the West Jakarta District Court altered the sentence that he had given to Edi Susanto, 17, only minutes after pronouncing him guilty on Thursday.

Edi did not contest the verdict, given for having hit his friend over the head with a glass, but pleaded to get out two months earlier so he could witness the delivery of his first child.

The judge's decision brought a smile to the face of Murni, the defendant's 17-year-old wife who attended the trial. Murni is two months pregnant.

Edi earlier told the court that he assaulted his friend Doni Asmara in July because he didn't show enough gratitude for the cigarettes he gave him. The incident occurred at Pos Duri market, in Tambora, West Jakarta. (26)