BY Fadley Faisal

The Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday ordered a foreign man to settle a BND2,500 fine, or face two months’ jail in default of payment, and disqualified him from obtaining a licence and driving in Brunei Darussalam for three years after he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.

United States (US) citizen Darran Heng, 32, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Nur Eleana binti Dato Paduka Haji Hairol Arni to a charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol at 5.30pm on March 15 at Jalan Kota Batu.

Prosecutor Ahmad Firdaus Muhammad revealed in court that police discovered the defendant’s acts when they rushed to the scene of a car accident near Kampong Dato Gandi on the day.

Investigations revealed that the accident was a result of the defendant having encroached into the opposite lane, causing an oncoming pick-up truck to swerve to avoid collision, however still ended with the defendant’s car colliding with the pick-up truck.

The defendant’s lawyer Ahmad Zakaria Mohammad pleaded for the court’s consideration by taking into account the defendant’s remorse and that he only went to consume alcohol on the day on the invitation of a friend.

The defendant also instantly admitted his acts, paid damages in full to the other driver, his own rented car and the vehicle’s third party, totalling just below BND10,000.

The magistrate, on handing the sentence, said that the defendant is lucky that no injuries were reported and reminded him to be cautious when using the road.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin