Fadley Faisal

The High Court on Wednesday sentenced a local man to 12 years’ jail with six whippings for drug trafficking and consumption.

Salehudin bin Bakar, 47, pleaded guilty to a charge of consuming methylamphetamine, but claimed trial to a drug trafficking charge.

The defendant, represented by counsel Rozaiman Abdul Rahman, went to trial and soon had a change of heart, prompting him to plead guilty to a lower charge of trafficking methylamphetamine, not exceeding 39 grammes.

Facts of the case by DPPs Pengiran Norsuzanawati binti Pengiran Haji Abas and Hajah Atiyyah Azzahra binti Pehin Dato Haji Abas stated that the defendant and six other persons were arrested at a house at Jalan Nenas Sanggol, Perpindahan Teres, Kampong Katok in a raid by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on April 19, 2015.

The defendant who had been observed earlier arriving at the house in his car with a passenger, was brought back out of his car, while a search was ongoing.

It yielded 25 packets of crystalline substances, a pair of scissors with a large number of clear ziplock plastic packets, two digital weighing scales, jewellery shop receipts and a wallet containing cash, along with the identity cards of the defendant and his wife.

Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong, who sat with Judge Muhammed Faisal bin Pehin Dato Haji Kefli, took into account the amount of methylamphetamine involved, the defendant’s previous record, but also balanced it out with the delay in bringing the case to a close, his lengthy remand period and his plea.