S'porean drink driver, 44, who collided with officer at Tuas Checkpoint, gets jail term increased to 5 years

A 44-year-old Singaporean man's jail sentence was increased to five years on Dec. 5 for driving while intoxicated and later colliding with an auxiliary police officer at Tuas Checkpoint.

The incident left the Certis Cisco officer, Ng Yi Shu, in a vegetative state.

High Court Judge Aidan Xu increased Yoong Kok Kai's sentence to five years, which was more than the four years that the prosecution had requested in an appeal of the original punishment, reported The Straits Times (ST).

He was previously sentenced to three years and six months' jail on Mar. 17.

What happened

On Mar. 23, 2023, Yoong had driven his Lexus car after multiple drinking sessions that started at 5pm that day.

He had consumed one and a half pints of beer, one-third of a 500ml bottle of whiskey, and also shared a 3-litre tower of beer and a S$200 drink at multiple nightlife venues.

He eventually left at around 11:42pm, intending to return to his home in Yishun.

Yoong drove his car despite being intoxicated.

However, he ended up driving on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) heading towards Jurong.

Speed cameras later captured him driving above speed limits on the AYE and along a viaduct at Tuas Checkpoint.

Yoong lost control of his vehicle as he was rounding a bend and sped over two safety humps.

Ng had sought cover behind a safety bollard and gantry after noticing Yoong's car approaching him.

However, the car mounted the kerb and struck Ng, throwing him onto the ground face-first.

The impact also uprooted a safety bollard, a safety gantry, a safety barrier, and a traffic light.

Police arrived shortly after and arrested Yoong for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Both men were taken to National University Hospital for medical treatment.

Ng suffered severe traumatic brain injury with bleeding in the brain and multiple facial fractures, leaving him in a vegetative state.

He is now permanently incapacitated and requires full assistance for eating, mobility, bathing and toileting.

Yoong has neither apologised nor offered unconditional compensation for Ng's medical bills, which had exceeded S$455,000 as at Jan. 30.

He has also made no restitution for the public property damage amounting to S$37,292.

Those driving at "excessive speed" can only expect very heavy sentences: Judge

In his sentencing, Xu also ordered the maximum S$10,000 fine to be imposed on Yoong, noting that it had been mistakenly omitted by the district judge who previously sentenced him.

The 10-year driving disqualification imposed by the lower court remains unchanged.

He also said that Yoong "drove so dangerously that he smashed into a bollard and a gantry post on the pavement, hitting and causing very serious, life-changing injuries to the hapless officer who had taken refuge behind these objects".

He stressed that there is "no excuse" for those who consume large amounts of alcohol and still choose to get behind the wheel.

Xu added: "Those who drive at excessive speed, or in a manner posing danger to others, while intoxicated, and who cause extensive injury to other persons, as well as property damage, can only expect very heavy sentences towards the highest end of the scale."

Previously sentenced to three years and six months' jail

Yoong had pleaded guilty on Feb. 27 to causing grievous hurt by dangerous driving while intoxicated, and to drink driving.

A third charge, for speeding, was taken into consideration, but the prosecution only appealed against the sentence for the dangerous driving charge.

The offence carries a maximum of six years' jail, a fine of up to S$10,000, and mandatory driving disqualification.

The prosecution had initially sought a four-year sentence.

After Xu called for further submissions on the discount, the prosecution revised the reduction to 10 to 20 per cent.

The judge said that although sentencing discounts aim to encourage early guilty pleas, the circumstances in this case were so grave that a severe sentence was necessary.

Xu settled on a 15 per cent reduction on the sentencing and rounded the jail term down to five years.

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