Reckless motorist jailed six years for death of cyclist
KUALA LUMPUR: A reckless motorist who caused the death of a man whose child was merely 45 days old paid the price when a magistrate’s court sentenced him to six years in jail.
Mohd Nabil Azhar Yahya Arif, 21, was found guilty of reckless driving leading to the death of cyclist Rafizi Hamdan, 37, in a hit-and-run on the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) on March 18.
Rafizi’s wife Ellis Suraya, who appeared at the Ampang court to submit her victim impact statement, told the magistrate that her second child was just 45 days old when her husband was killed in the accident.
Ellis, who appeared distraught, said the accident not only took away her husband, it also meant her son would never get to know his father.
DPP S. Purnima asked the court for a deterrent sentence, saying Rafizi’s widow now had the heavy responsibility of caring for their two children.
Lawyer Aziz Hamzah, who held watching brief for the family, said: “He did not die in vain. He died a hero, and with his passing a strong message must be sent to other road users to abide by the law.”
Counsel Samri Masri argued that road accidents happened every day and that harshly punishing his client would not make roads safer.
Ellis, who remained in the public gallery along with her family and inlaws, sobbed when her husband’s accident was described repeatedly as “just an accident”.
Magistrate Noor Farah Hazwani Osman ruled that testimony and evidence proved that Mohd Nabil was in the wrong because he crossed over a double line to take a short cut when he rammed into Rafizi.
There was also paint transfer from Mohd Nabil’s car onto the bicycle and his number plate had loosened itself and was left at the scene.
Noor Farah sentenced Mohd Nabil to six years in prison, fined him RM10,000 and suspended his driving licence for three years.