A man who fled from the Magistrate’s Court after he was fined in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday surrendered himself to the court three hours later.

Court official, DSP Zulkifli Osman said the man, Saiful Anuar Abdul Halim, 24, fled the court at 1.40pm and surrendered himself at 4.30pm.

Earlier, the deputy public prosecutor had brought the man to meet with the magistrate.

Zulkifli said the man was fined RM1,800 or three months’ jail for the offence of slapping a security guard under Section 323 of the Penal Code.

“The man panicked because he thought he was not only fined but was also given a prison sentence.

“The magistrate only sentenced him to a fine, and only if he failed to pay it, then he would be jailed for three months,” he told Bernama when contacted.

He said Saiful Anuar had paid the fine and action would not be taken against him for running away as the magistrate had warned him not to repeat the act.

The man was hiding in the Jalan Duta court complex as the police and security guards had taken quick action in closing the doors of the complex.

- Bernama