| Fadley Faisal |

THE Magistrate’s Court yesterday ordered a local man to settle a BND800 fine, or serve a month’s jail in default of payment, after he pleaded guilty to a charge of committing mischief.

Chan Ban Chang, at the time of offence a Lance Corporal 5111 at the Reserve Unit of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), texted his girlfriend on February 14, 2016 but did not receive any reply.

He grew angry because of this.

He then told his girlfriend to wait downstairs at the flat where she lives with her husband in Muara.

The couple discussed some issues, shortly after which the girlfriend left Chan at the stairs and shut herself in at home.

The defendant grew more furious and chased after his girlfriend to the flat’s door, but found it locked.

He kicked at the door several times, damaging it.

The girlfriend eventually relented to Chan’s aggression and left the house with him.

The husband of the defendant’s girlfriend, an army personnel, returned home to discover the door damaged.

He discussed the issue with his superiors, leading him to filing a police report and the defendant’s arrest.

These facts of the case were revealed by Deputy Public Prosecutor Syazwani binti Jumat in court yesterday.

Chan hired lawyer Rozaiman Abdul Rahman, who sought for a non-custodial sentence.

Presiding Magistrate Hajah Ervy Sufitriana binti Haji Abdul Rahman was convinced with Rozaiman’s argument that his client deserves a sentence of a fine, as there was a delay of around three years in bringing the case to court.

However, the court condemned the defendant’s actions, stressing that he could have resolved the problem in a civil manner rather than in the manner he took, as he was a policeman himself.