KOTA KINABALU: A man, who is paralyzed due to an accident prior to his trial, has escaped a jail sentence after he was given a two-year bond of good behaviour for raping his teenage lover three years ago.

Sessions Court judge Azreena Aziz handed down the sentence on Mohd Azhar Jeminos, 23, yesterday, pursuant to Section 294 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Mohd Azhar initially decided to plead guilty at the defence stage of the trial to raping the 15-year-old girl at a hut in a village in Tuaran in early March 2015.

The offence, framed under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, is punishable with a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, upon conviction.

The bond was imposed with a local surety, who must be a family member, in the sum of RM10,000 with RM5,000 to be deposited. A deposit sum of RM1,500 was ordered to be paid yesterday while the balance on or before July 30.

Azhar was also ordered to pay a RM10,000 compensation to the victim, in default, six months’ jail, and to be placed under police supervision for two years after serving his sentence.

The court allowed for the compensation to be paid in monthly instalments of RM400, with the first payment to be made on or before July 30. The final sum of RM400 will be on August 28, 2020 which the court fixed for remention to review the payments.