Kota Kinabalu: Two overzealous football fans were fined RM25 each for hurling objects into the field during the Sabah vs JDT match at Likas Stadium last month.
Food delivery Mohd Farid Tinih, 35, and unemployed Mohd Nor Azrul Junaidi, 32, appeared before two separate magistrates on Wednesday.
They pleaded guilty to behaving improperly, disrupting public order after the match ended with Sabah FC losing 1-2 to JDT at 10pm on July 15.
Farid was fined RM25 or seven days in jail by Magistrate Jessica Ombou Kakayun for throwing a water bottle onto the Likas Stadium running track. Nor Azrul was ordered to pay a RM25 fine or spend one day in jail by Magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie for hurling a transparent water cup toward the football field.
Farid and Nor Azrul were each charged under Section 8(1)(e) of the Minor Offence Ordinance which provides for a RM25 fine.
Earlier, the magistrates were informed by the prosecution that Farid was detained for throwing object toward the football players who were making their way into the dressing room, while Nor Azrul was arrested for hurling a water cup towards the field that hit other spectators, instead.
Police investigations revealed that both Farid and Nor Azrul were sitting at the grandstand watching the match until the end.
In Nor Azrul’s case it was found that due to being too disappointed with Sabah FC’s loss he followed others throwing objects but the cup filled with water that he was hurling towards the field ended up splashing on other spectators instead.
He was caught by the spectators who then handed him to police.
Also out of disappointment, Farid threw a water bottle toward the running track which did not hit anyone.
He then left the grandstand and was arrested by police at the staircase area while on his way out.
During mitigation Nor Azrul, who was not represented, at first told the court that he has nothing to say as it was only RM25 to which Stephanie firmly told him that he was lucky as it was only a fine.
Nor Azrul then admitted to his offence and that he is currently jobless and said he would not be throwing things anymore when in the stadium and confessed that he was just following others who were throwing objects at that time.
The magistrate also reminded him that his name was already in the court system and that should his name come up again in the future the punishment would be more severe.
Unrepresented Farid, admitted his wrongdoing and chose to pay the fine, apologised to the court, and promised not to commit similar offence in the future.
Meanwhile, in another case, an unemployed man was charged with threatening to injure his mother with a knife.
John, 46, claimed trial before Jessica to committing the crime against one Kalsom Baih, 68, at 4.30pm on Aug 13 in a room of a house at Telipok Settlement Scheme, Manggatal.
The charge under Section 506 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to seven years or fine or both on conviction.
The prosecution proposed no bail on the grounds that a family member witnessed that John was naked while holding the knife and threatening his mother, who was sleeping at the time.
Unrepresented, John thanked the court and said that he would wait for his family members to get him out. The court set Sept 20 for case management and ordered the accused to be remanded further.
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