PORT DICKSON: A lorry driver was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and fined RM40,000 by the magistrate’s court here today for four counts after he was found guilty of reckless driving which resulted in an accident that killed four Singaporeans of one family, on Jan 3 last year.
Magistrate Siti Khairiah Abdul Razak meted out the sentence on P. Mani after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case.
The magistrate also ordered the sentence to run concurrently beginning today. The 55-year-old Mani who wore a white shirt appeared calm while in the dock during the sentencing.
He was charged with driving the lorry in a dangerous manner and caused the death of Rosli Samad, 54, Rosli’s wife Maimunah Sapari, 51 and their two children - Nur Amalina, 24 and Dayana Sarah, 18, at a traffic light at Jalan Lukut-Sepang in Port Dickson at 2.30pm, on Jan 3, 2018.
The accused was found guilty under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, that provides an imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to RM20,000, upon conviction.
In mitigation, the accused, who was represented by counsel Kasthuri Krishnan, pleaded with the court to impose a lenient sentence as Mani, who has lost his job as a lorry driver, and had to support his family.
However, the court dismissed the appeal because the accused committed a serious offence that resulted in the death of four family members.
Siti Khairiah also ordered the accused to pay fine of RM10,000 for each charge while the failure to pay would see him serve 12 months jail sentence for each charge to run separately. — Bernama
