RM4,000 fine for careless driving

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KUCHING: A motorist was slapped with a RM4,000 fine in default five months’ jail by a magistrates’ court here yesterday after pleading guilty to a reckless driving charge.

The court fined Muhammad Daud Ederis, 22, after taking into consideration the brief facts of case, nature of the offence as well as his mitigation plea.

Daud pleaded guilty to driving recklessly which resulted in the death of a seven-year-old boy at Kampung Sampat, Sebangan in Simunjan at 2.15pm on Nov 9, 2009.

This was his second time pleading guilty to the offence.

When the case was first mentioned on Nov 5 last year he admitted committing the offence and was sentenced to two years’ jail, a charge read under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987.

He was 18 years old when he committed the offence.

Daud subsequently appealed against the decision on the ground that he was not informed of the jail term as penalty.

A High Court judge who presided over the case ruled in his favour and ordered the case to be sent back to a magistrates’ court for trial under a reduced charge (Section 43 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987).

Yesterday, he again pleaded guilty to the charge.

He, however, appealed for leniency in sentencing saying he had save the court’s time and costs for the trial. He also said that his family would settle the fine as he is unemployed.

He also told the court the incident happened because the victim suddenly came out and ran to the main road leaving little time for him to avoid hitting him (victim). His parents settled the fine.

Meanwhile, in another magistrates’ court, a woman and a man suspected to be in possession of drugs were remanded for four days to facilitate police investigation.

The duo, aged 29 and 26 respectively, were arrested at a house in Jalan Wan Alwi, Tabuan Jaya last Saturday for suspected possession of 14.02g of Eramine 5. The police also found five strips of tablets believed to be Eramine 5 (50 tablets weighing 14.02g) from the house.

Their remand order will expire April 7. The case is being investigated under Section 39A of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.