Drug addict jailed, caned for fourth offence

KOTA KINABALU: A 45-year-old man was sentenced to five years and six months' jail plus a stroke of whipping for consuming syabu the fourth time.

Sessions Court judge Elsie Primus imposed the sentence on Lo Sin Kong after he admitted to his repeated offence under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and read together under Section 39C of the same Act.

The indictment provides for a jail term of between five and seven years, and whipping of not more than three strokes, upon conviction.

Lo was arrested after he was found positive for the drugs during a urine test at the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department here on February 21.

He has three previous convictions of consuming syabu in 2013 and 2017.

Meanwhile, two men, Bonly

Amsan, 21, and Mohammad Ezuan Lomong, 30, each received five years' jail and a stroke of whipping for a similar offence.

Bonly and Mohammad Ezuan were arrested at the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department here after their urine tested positive for the drugs on April 22, 2019 and October 24, 2019, respectively.

The court was told that Bonly and Mohammad Ezuan had two previous convictions of consuming syabu between 2008 and 2018.

In mitigation, the accused, who were not represented, prayed for leniency while the deputy public prosecutor requested for a deterrent sentence against them.

The court also ordered all of the accused to serve their jail sentence from the date of their arrest and to be placed under police supervision for three years after serving the sentences.