Man who led police on 70 km chase gets jail, fine

MARAN: A man who led police on a 70km chase last Thursday, was sentenced to jail and fined by the Magistrate's Court here today, after he pleaded guilty to three charges including for obstructing civil servants on duty.

Magistrate Nur Syafiqah Noorinda sentenced Mohamad Asyraf Haniff Ramlee, 25, of Felda Ulu Jempol here, to 24 months in jail and RM5,000 fine, in default 10 months in jail, and ordered that his driving licence be suspended for two years, for driving in a reckless and dangerous manner.

He was also sentenced to 20 months' jail for obstructing traffic policeman, Corporal D.Kalaiselvan, from carrying out his duties and another three months' imprisonment for ramming into a car due to negligence.

The accused, a bachelor, was charged with committing the offences at 4.30pm on March 11 at the Maran Toll Plaza traffic light junction here.

He was ordered to serve the jail sentences concurrently from the date of arrest.

Based on the facts of the case, the offences were committed when the accused tried to flee in a Honda Odyssey vehicle after Kalaiselvan ordered him to stop at Jalan Tanah Putih, Kuantan for using the phone while driving and using a car registration plate which was not according to specifications.

The accused continued speeding towards Jalan Gambang-Kuantan, and Kalaiselvan was forced to get the help of the Kuantan IPD which then dispatched patrol vehicles (MPV) to go after the accused who was driving towards Maran.

During the ride, the accused rammed into a Toyota driven by a man and also made a dangerous U-turn after realising that a roadblock has been mounted at the main road leading to the toll plaza.

Police then fired two shots at the left front tyre of the accused's vehicle, but he still refused to stop and continued to flee towards Kuantan with Kalaiselvan and four police MPVs in hot pursuit.

The accused was finally arrested after his car skidded near an oil palm plantation at Felda New Zealand here.

-- BERNAMA