KUCHING: A man was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment and fined RM30,000, in default one month’s jail, by the Magistrates’ Court here today (July 7) for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and injuring a police officer at a roadblock along Jalan Padungan.
Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali handed down the sentence on Suaidie Suhaimi, 28, after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 44(1A)(a) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
The offence carries a mandatory jail term of between seven and 10 years, a fine of RM30,000 to RM50,000, and disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for at least seven years upon conviction.
The court also disqualified Suaidie from holding or obtaining a driving licence for seven years from the date of conviction.
Suaidie committed the offence, where he drove a Perodua Viva while having drugs in his body, namely amphetamine, methamphetamine and ketamine alongside alcohol, which resulted in injuries to a 46 year-old police officer.
The offence took place at about 2.40 am on June 20, along Jalan Padungan, Kuching.
Based on the facts of the case, Suaidie was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and failed to properly control his vehicle while approaching a police roadblock under Ops Bersepadu Cegah Jenayah.
He also failed to stop when instructed by police and crashed into the roadblock, hitting the police officer, who was on duty at the time.
The accused did not suffer any injuries, while the victim sustained injuries and received treatment at Sarawak General Hospital.
Acting swiftly on intelligence and follow-up investigations, police tracked down the suspect less than five hours later. He was arrested at around 7 am on the same day.
Investigations revealed that Suaidie tested positive for methamphetamine, ketamine and norketamine through a urine screening test. He also admitted to consuming alcohol before driving.
In mitigation, Suaidie apologised to the court and promised not to repeat the offence.
He pleaded for leniency, saying his wife, who was present in court, is a full-time homemaker and that he is the sole breadwinner for their three children.
When asked by the court whether he was still taking drugs, he replied that he was not.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Aidil Akmal Sharidan urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, arguing that the offence was not merely a traffic violation but an act of extreme irresponsibility that endangered public safety.
He said the incident was made more serious as it occurred at a police roadblock, where a law enforcement officer performing his duties became the victim.
The prosecution also applied for compensation to be awarded to the victim under Section 426(1A) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
However, the court did not grant any compensation order due to the financial situation faced by the accused.
The accused is unrepresented during the proceedings.
For the record, the accused was also charged at the Magistrate Court on June 22 under Section 26(2) of the Police Act 1967 for failing to obey a police officer’s signal to stop at a roadblock, which carries a six-month jail sentence.
He also received a one-year prison sentence under Section 332 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from carrying out his duty, and a further nine months’ imprisonment under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his duties.
