SIBU: A habitual drug offender was yesterday ordered to spend the next five years behind bars by the Sessions Court for repeated drug abuse.
In passing sentence, presiding Sessions Court Judge Marutin Pagan also directed that Christopher Japing, 25, to be given a stroke of the whip.
In addition, Marutin also ordered the accused to be placed under police supervision for three years after serving sentence.
The charge against the accused stated that he was found to have consumed dangerous drugs – Amphetamine and Methamphetamine without any authorisation at Narcotic Criminal Investigation Department office in Kapit District Police Headquarters at about 5.05 pm on July 21, 2021.
The charge further stated that he had two previous convictions of similar offence, thereby committig an offence under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234) and punishable under section 39C (1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
The Act provides for an imprisonment term of not less than five years but not exceeding seven years and liable to a sentence of whipping with not more than three strokes upon conviction.
In outlining the fact of case, prosecuting officer Inspector Sivaneswaran Nadaraja told the Court that at about 5.05 pm on July 21, 2021, a team of police personnel from Narcotics Crime Investigation Department Kapit arrested the accused for suspicion of being involved in drug abuse activities.
A urine sample taken from the accused was then sent to Pathology Department in Sarawak General Hospital, in Kuching for analysis.
Investigation result revealed that based on the pathology report, a Science Officer confirmed that the accused urine contained Amphetamine & Methamphetamine.
These drugs are listed under the first schedule of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. The accused was also found to have two previous convictions of similar offence.
