A FOOD delivery rider escaped the gallows today after his charge of trafficking in 764.9g of cannabis was reduced to one of possession.

Izad Shahizal Pungot, 41, was instead sentenced to 10 years in jail and ordered to be given 10 strokes of the cane by the Court of Appeal’s three-man bench comprising judges Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Zaidi Ibrahim and S.M. Komathy Suppiah.

Hadhariah, who delivered the court’s decision, said the trend of sentencing for such offences was between 10 and 12 years’ imprisonment.

She said the court was of the view that 10 years in jail and 10 strokes of the rotan is adequate.

She ordered Izad to serve his jail sentence from January 16, 2018, the date of his arrest.

Izad’s lawyer K.S. Pang had earlier informed the court that the Attorney-General’s Chambers had accepted his client’s representation to reduce the charge.

According to the charge sheet, Izad committed the offence in an apartment in Pangsapuri Desa Dato’ Hajah Hasnah in Johor Baru at 9.30pm on January 16, 2018.

Izad was sentenced to death by the Johor Baru High Court on November 24, 2021 after he was found guilty.

According to the facts of the case, police arrested Izad after they found drugs on him.

During interrogation, he confessed to the police that there were drugs stored at his home.

Police then went to his apartment and Izad led them to where the drugs were hidden.

In mitigation, Pang had asked the court to impose a jail term of less than 10 years on Izad, saying that his client regretted his action and promised not to repeat it. He said the drugs were for Izad’s own consumption. –Bernama, August 7, 2023.