No free ride: Alsid being escorted out of the courthouse in Kota Kinabalu.
KOTA KINABALU: A man was sentenced to a year’s jail by the Magistrate’s Court here after he was found guilty of trying to sneak into a commercial aircraft at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).
Alsid Patolla admitted in front of Magistrate Jessica Ombou Kakayun on Thursday that he had attempted to board the AirAsia plane despite not having a ticket so that he could look for his next-of-kin in Kuala Lumpur.
The 30-year-old Filipino was charged with trespassing into a restricted area at Gate 8 of KKIA at 9.50pm last Nov 27.
Alsid was charged under Section 5(1) of the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959 which provides a maximum jail term of two years or a RM1,000 fine, or both, on conviction.
Jessica ruled that the accused must serve the prison sentence from the date of his detention and be referred to the Immigration Department on completion of his jail term.
The court heard that Alsid had gained entry into the compound by climbing over a wooden fence near the airport’s pump house, located some distance from the main building.
He subsequently walked 7km and on seeing the plane, which was bound for Johor, tried to board it.
He was stopped by AirAsia security personnel before being brought for questioning at the KKIA police station.
