Drunk driver gets 17 years in jail for causing death of four men, injuring another

Olivia Ching (centre) being escorted out the courtroom. -Starpic

KOTA KINABALU: A 34-year-old woman was sentenced to 17 years’ jail and fined RM39,000 for causing the death of four men and seriously injuring another while driving under the influence of alcohol on July 8 last year.

Tawau Sessions Court judge Awang Krisnada Awang Mahmud imposed the sentence on Olivia Ching Oi Yun, 34, after finding her guilty of two charges under the Road Transport Act 1987.

In her first charge for causing the death of four people at Jalan Chong Thien Vun here at about 1.20am, Ching, who was a former candidate for Sabah STAR in the 13th General Election, was sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined RM20,000. She faces another six months jail if she failed to pay the fine.

The deceased were Hiew Nyuk Wei, 30, Clawence Wong Vui Kit, 21, Dicson Lim Kien Shing, 16 and Chung Vui Chan, 21.

For her second charge of causing hurt to one, Chin Guang Xiong, 21, at around the same time and place, she was sentenced to seven years’ jail and fined RM19,000 in addition to six months imprisonment if she failed to pay the fine.

The court ordered her to serve the sentence consecutively and that her driver’s licence be revoked for five years for each of the charges.

In the tragedy, Ching was heading to Jalan Tiku from Tawau town when she lost control of her vehicle and skidded in the opposite road direction.

She rammed into three cars parked at the scene and the victims.

During the proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Wan Muhammad Fitri Wan Azizan urged for the maximum sentence considering the severity of the case.

He said the chemist report found the level of alcohol in Ching’s body at 171mg, which is double the amount allowed.

“This is also to serve as a lesson to others,” he said, adding that drunk driving has been the main cause of accident deaths in Tawau for the past few years.

Wan Muhammad also said the court needed to take into account the trauma and effect this case had on the families of the victims and public interest.