SINGAPORE: A lorry driver who was banned from driving over an incident with a cyclist in 2018 was caught driving about three weeks before his ban was lifted.
Teo Seng Tiong, 62, said he had taken over the wheel from his wife as she was unfamiliar with the route.
Teo was sentenced to five weeks’ jail on Tuesday (Jun 27), fined S$600 (US$444) and banned from driving for another four years.
He pleaded guilty to one count of driving while disqualified and using a vehicle without insurance coverage.
The court heard that Teo was banned from driving for two years, from Aug 24, 2020 to Aug 23, 2022. This was for a rash act causing grievous hurt against cyclist Eric Cheung Hoyu in a viral incident in 2018.
He was sentenced to seven weeks’ jail, but spent two days more in prison than he should have in 2020, due to an error by a court officer.
His lawyer at the time, Mr Tan Hee Joek, said the authorities would have dialogues with them on how Teo can be appropriately compensated. The terms of compensation were confidential.
THE FRESH OFFENCE
At about 1pm on Jul 31, 2022, a traffic police officer spotted Teo driving a lorry along Pan Island Expressway towards Changi Airport, without a seatbelt on.
The officer stopped the lorry along Upper Serangoon and identified Teo. Teo admitted that he did not have any valid driving licence as he was disqualified from driving.
He claimed that his wife, a passenger in the lorry, was not familiar with route, so he had taken over from Jurong.
They were on they way home when he was caught.
The prosecution asked for eight weeks’ jail, a fine and further disqualification from driving.
Lawyer Andy Yeo of Eldan Law said his client did not go out to mischievously disregard the court’s disqualification order.
Teo is a self-employed odd job labourer, said Mr Yeo, and is the breadwinner for his family of four.
Mr Yeo asked for five weeks’ jail instead, pointing to how the High Court had dealt with cases where a person was nearing the end of his driving ban.
He cited the Chief Justice, who said a person caught driving near the beginning of the original disqualification period is likely to be more culpable than one who is caught near the end of the period.
Someone who flouts the driving ban near the end of it may be taken to have abided by the disqualification order for most of its duration, said the Chief Justice, and that period of compliance can be taken to be a mitigating factor.
The judge imposed the jail term asked for by the defence.