KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — The Sessions Court today sentenced a woman to one year’s imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to cheating fans of Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung out of RM441,628 for concert tickets she promised but never delivered.

According to local daily China Press, today was initially scheduled for the start of 40-year-old Tan Siew Kian’s two-day trial, as she had previously pleaded not guilty.

But she reportedly changed her plea today, which led to the Sessions Court sentencing her to one year’s imprisonment starting from the date of her arrest on August 12 this year.

Previously, a 46-year-old Malaysian Chinese man who is a restaurant operator had lodged a police report, which led to Tan’s arrest on August 12, China Press reported.

Citing the facts of the case provided by the police, China Press reported that the woman who was an event emcee had on May 19 made an offer to the man at a Cheras restaurant to help obtain 329 tickets to the "Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour” that was to be held from August 11 to August 13.

The woman had reportedly promised to hand over the concert tickets on August 1 but with the condition that this man make the payment first, with 15 friends then booking the concert tickets — priced at between RM388 and RM1,188 per ticket — through the man.

According to China Press, the man had between June 1 and July 13 then handed over a total of RM441,828 through two cash handovers and three fund transfers to Tan, but had never received the promised concert tickets even up to the day he lodged the police report.

On August 16, the woman was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code in the Sessions Court.

Section 420 covers the offence of cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, which is punishable by a jail term of between one year and 10 years, whipping, and a fine.

Tan had pleaded not guilty at that time and was granted bail at RM30,000, but China Press said she has been detained since August 16 as she was unable to pay the bail. Her case came up for mention on September 18, which was when the Sessions Court fixed the trial to be heard today and tomorrow.

Citing the case’s investigating officer Inspector Tai Yong Keong, China Press reported that Tan was in tears after hearing Sessions Court judge Datin Sabariah Othman’s decision today to give a one-year jail sentence.

Citing the same investigating officer Tai, China Press said the prosecution’s deputy public prosecutor Raihanah Abd Razak had asked the Sessions Court to give a reasonable jail term as the case involves huge losses and the male victim was also forced to repay his friends for the losses sustained over the failed concert tickets purchase bid.

Citing Tai, China Press said the prosecution had also hoped for the court’s sentence on the woman to be a lesson to ensure that she would not repeat the crime of cheating.

Also citing Tai, China Press reported that the woman’s lawyer had requested the Sessions Court to only impose a jail sentence on the woman, as she has a child who is disabled and has no more income since she was arrested and could not afford to pay any fine.

After the arguments by both the prosecution and the woman’s lawyer, the Sessions Court then handed down the one-year jail term.