KUCHING: A 43-year-old man who was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and fined RM5,000 last month for hitting his friend with a knife was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court for repeat drug offences.
Judge Iris Awen Jon handed down the sentence on Mohamad Sahmin Sulong on Wednesday (Sept 9) after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 39C (1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
The court also ordered Sahmin to undergo police supervision for two years upon completion of his sentence.
According to the charge, he tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine at the Padawan District Police Narcotics Crime Investigation Department Office at 1.30pm on May 17.
If convicted, the accused shall be punished with imprisonment of up to seven years and with whipping of up to three strokes.
The facts of the case revealed that a police team from the Padawan District Narcotics Crime Investigation Department arrested the accused for a drug test.
Initial screening shown that the accused’s urine sample contained amphetamine and methamphetamine.
The urine sample was then brought to the Pathology Department of Sarawak General Hospital for chemical analysis, which confirmed the presence of the drugs.
Sahmin also had two previous convictions under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
The case was prosecuted by deputy public prosecutor Chuah Kai Sheng while the accused was unrepresented.
Sahmin was previously sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and a RM5,000 fine, in default three months’ imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here in July for causing hurt with a knife during a dispute with his childhood acquaintance in Kampung Haji Baki.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu handed down the sentence after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 324 of the Penal Code.
The offence of voluntarily causing hurt by means of a dangerous weapon under Section 324 of the Penal Code carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, or a fine, or whipping, or any two of those punishments upon conviction.
