A CANADIAN man was fined RM800, in default of 15 days’ jail, by the Kuala Lumpur magistrates’ court today for showing obscene gestures to a supermarket security guard and failing to wear a mask in public two weeks ago.

Magistrate S. Mageswary handed down the sentence on Theberge Travis Lee, 44, after he pleaded guilty to the two charges. He paid the fine.

On the first charge of insulting behaviour, framed under section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, for having shown his middle finger towards Padam Giri with intent to provoke a breach of the peace, Travis Lee was fined RM100, in default of one day in jail.

The offence was committed at a supermarket in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur at 9.30pm on April 16.

For the second charge of not wearing a mask, which was in breach of regulation 17 of the Prevention And Control Of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infected Local Areas) 2022, Travis Lee was fined RM700, in default of two weeks jail.

In mitigation his lawyer, Jayananda Rao, told the court that his client, who works at an oil and gas company, had just started working in the country and had three sisters to support in Canada.

He added that Travis Lee regretted his action and had apologised, as well as promised to not do the same mistake again.

Deputy public prosecutor Wardah Nasuha Safian prosecuted.

On April 17, a 18-second video showing the man acting aggressively towards a security guard in a supermarket went viral on social media. – Bernama, April 26, 2022.