KOTA KINABALU: A 30-year-old man who was caught intoxicated while driving has been jailed for five months after failing to pay a RM10,000 fine.
Sandakan Magistrate Nur Faezah Jafry imposed the fine on Yusup Muksan after he was found guilty of the offence, which was committed at 2.15am on Jan 18.
According to the facts of the case, police were at the scene to move a car that turned turtle after an accident when they noticed a car coming towards them at high speed.
Police stopped the approaching vehicle to prevent it from ramming the wreck, and ordered the driver to pull over.
They detected a strong odour of alcohol on the accused and administered a breathalyser test.
The results found his blood alcohol level to be 291mg per 100ml, significantly exceeding the legal limit of 50mg/100ml.
He was charged under Section 45A (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amended 2020), which carries a two-year jail sentence or a fine of up to RM30,000, or both, upon conviction.
Apart from the fine, Nur Faezah also handed down a two-day jail sentence and ordered a two-year suspension of Yusup's driving licence.
The prosecution was conducted by Insp Rodi Wong, while the accused was not represented.
Earlier, Insp Rodi urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence to serve as a reminder to the accused as well as would-be offenders to refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol.
