The Criminal Court has imposed a sentence of 40 lashes and imprisonment on a man after he confessed to consuming alcohol before colliding with a stationary vehicle in Hulhumalé.

The judgment was delivered against Ghufraan Khalid, from Nest in Laamu Atoll Kalaidhoo.

The state filed charges of alcohol consumption against him following an incident where the car he was operating collided with a vehicle parked close to Imaan Mosque in Hulhumalé Phase 2.

In the course of the police inquiry about the accident, he acknowledged that he had consumed alcohol prior to the collision.

Officers discovered beer cans in the vehicle he was operating. He also admitted to the offense during the initial hearing.

The standard guideline for sentencing this offense is one month and six days of incarceration. The state indicated that, since he had admitted guilt, the penalty should be decreased by one level from the standard guideline, and that the crime also entails a punishment of 40 lashes.

The state additionally asked for a portion of the prison term to be changed into a monetary penalty, and the defendant also urged the court to decide as the state had requested.

Due to the decrease for his guilty plea, the sentence was set at 27 days. Since the state raised no objection to turning part of it into a fine, the judge changed 18 of the 27 days into a fine of MVR 3,600.

Consequently, the court imposed a sentence of nine days in prison on Ghufraan Khalid, in addition to 40 lashes and a fine of MVR 3,600.