A London-born British drug trafficker had his appeal rejected again by the Court of Appeal on Aug. 12.

This was after he unsuccessfully tried again via his lawyer to raise legal questions related to his sentence of 20 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane.

It was the second time the London-born disc jockey Yuen Ye Ming, 31, has failed in his attempt to ask Singapore's highest court to determine questions of law.

Yuen claimed the questions are of public interest.

He sought to raise three issues related to his punishment for two sets of drug offences committed in 2016 and 2018.

Yuen was represented by lawyer M. Ravi for this second attempt.

In March 2020, Yuen filed his second application to refer different questions to the apex court.

The questions relate to issues of double punishment, if two separate caning sentences can be ordered to be imposed concurrently, and if mandatory minimum sentences infringe an offender's right to a proportionate sentence, The Straits Times reported.

Second appeal rejected

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon dismissed Yuen's case.

He said the legal requirements for the court to allow his application had not been met and he told Ravi during the hearing that the apex court has no jurisdiction to determine the legal questions as they had not been decided by the High Court, ST reported.

The court also comprised Judges of Appeal Judith Prakash and Tay Yong Kwang.

A detailed written grounds will be issued in due course.

Previous appeals rejected

Yuen's appeal against his sentence was dismissed in November 2018.

He was unrepresented then when he appealed to the High Court.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt then brought up his case with Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan during an official visit to Singapore in January 2019, after Yuen's case was publicised by the Daily Mail -- which split public opinion as there were some who supported Singapore's punishment.

Yuen then engaged lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam to raise legal questions to the Court of Appeal, but the application was heard and dismissed in August 2019.

These questions related to the enhanced punishment regime for drug offences.

In March 2020, he filed his second application to refer different questions to the apex court, which was the appeal that just got dismissed.

Yuen's arrest and sentencing

Yuen was first arrested on Aug. 5, 2016, at a River Valley condominium.

He was found to be carrying drugs.

He had turned to selling drugs to support his lavish lifestyle and repay his gambling debts, investigations revealed.

On Jan. 17, 2018, he pleaded guilty to trafficking, possession and consumption charges.

As the case was adjourned for sentencing and while Yuen was out on bail, he was arrested on Feb. 20, 2018, and charged with a second set of trafficking, possession and consumption offences.

He pleaded guilty to four of the 12 charges on July 18, 2018.

On Aug. 1, 2018, he was sentenced to a total of 20 years' jail and the maximum 24 strokes of the cane.