KOTA KINABALU: A man who was just sentenced to a six-month jail term jumped off the second floor of the Keningau Magistrate's Court building in a bid to escape imprisonment.
However, 24-year-old Muhammad Safwan Shahir Jasuf Abdullah was caught seven hours later, hiding in a chicken coop at a government quarters close to the old Keningau hospital, about 100km from here.
Keningau OCPD Supt Yampil Garai said the incident occurred just after the suspect was sentenced by Magistrate Flavian Edward Henry at the Magistrate's Court Chamber under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (ADB) 1952 at about 2.30pm on Monday (July 29).
"As soon as the six-month prison sentence was read out, the suspect suddenly jumped out of the dock, pushed a glass window, and jumped from the second floor.
"The suspect then headed towards a garage roof along the building before jumping off and running towards the court fence," Supt Yampil said in a statement on Tuesday (July 30).
The suspect managed to make his way towards the Rusa roundabout on the main road and "disappeared" without a trace.
Explaining events leading to the escape, Supt Yampil said the suspect's handcuffs were removed along with those of six other prisoners when he was brought to the Magistrates Court dock.
"He was not handcuffed at the time, as it was taken off for the sentencing process," he said.
Supt Yampil said the Magistrate's Court chambers did not have iron grilles on its windows, and only the Sessions Court room at the lower level was fully grilled.
"The four closed circuit cameras (CCTV) in the area at the scene were also not working," he added.
Following the incident, a police team composed of the CID and Special Branch from the district police headquarters swung into action and tracked the suspect to his hideout at about 9.30pm.
"The suspect was arrested in the residential area of the government quarters, near the Keningau Old Hospital building while hiding in a chicken coop around the quarters," he said.
He said the suspect was arrested and investigated for escaping custody under Sections 223 and 224 of the Penal Code.
