An intoxicated motorist, Yoong Kok Kai, aged 44, had his jail term significantly increased from three-and-a-half years to five years on December 5, following a successful appeal by the prosecution. The severe sentence was handed down by High Court Judge Aidan Xu and relates to an accident at the Tuas Checkpoint on the morning of March 24, 2023, that left an auxiliary police officer in a vegetative state.
The sentence of five years is notably higher than the four-year term that the prosecution had initially sought in its appeal against the original jail term handed down to Yoong by the district judge on March 17. Furthermore, Justice Xu imposed the maximum fine of $10,000, which had been inadvertently omitted by the lower court judge during the initial sentencing. The 10-year driving disqualification period imposed by the lower court remained unchanged.
Justice Xu delivered brief remarks, noting the extreme danger of the incident. He stated 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, having seen the car careen down the road at high speed.”
The judge emphasized the lack of excuse for those who choose to drink large amounts of alcohol and subsequently drive. He asserted that those who drive at excessive speed or in a manner posing danger to others while intoxicated, and who cause extensive injury and property damage, must anticipate "very heavy sentences towards the highest end of the scale." Justice Xu even questioned the adequacy of the maximum sentences prescribed for the worst type of incidents, stating it was a matter for the legislature to consider.
The court heard that Yoong had engaged in three consecutive drinking sessions on the night of March 23, 2023, before choosing to drive home to Yishun. The drinking began at about 5 PM, when he consumed one-and-a-half pints of beer in a restaurant in Fraser Street. He then drove to a restaurant on South Bridge Road and consumed one-third of a 500ml bottle of whiskey. Around 10 PM, Yoong walked to a nearby KTV pub where he shared a 3-litre tower of beer and a $200 “ladies drink” with a waitress.
Despite intending to drive to his home in Yishun, Yoong inexplicably drove west. He was detected by a speed camera at 12:36 AM clocking 134km/h on the AYE, significantly exceeding the 90km/h speed limit. Just ten minutes later, at 12:46 AM, he reached the departure lane at Tuas Checkpoint.
The victim, Mr Ng Yi Shu, a 30-year-old Certis Cisco officer on duty, spotted Yoong’s car speeding towards him. Yoong lost control of his Lexus while approaching a bend, hitting a divider before mounting a kerb. Mr Ng, in a desperate attempt to get out of the car’s path, ran to hide behind a safety bollard and safety gantry. However, the speeding vehicle struck him, uprooting the safety bollard, gantry, barrier, and a traffic light due to the force of the collision. While Yoong’s airbags deployed, saving his life, Mr Ng was thrown into the air upon impact, landing on his face.
The officer suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and extensive facial fractures. As a result of the accident, Mr Ng is permanently incapacitated and requires full assistance for all basic daily activities, including eating, moving, bathing, dressing, and using the toilet.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Khoo informed the court that Yoong has shown no remorse, having made no apology or unconditional compensation to cover Mr Ng's medical bills, which stood at more than $455,000 as of January 30. Yoong also failed to make any restitution for the $37,292.53 damage caused to public property.
Yoong pleaded guilty on February 27 to two principal charges: causing grievous hurt by dangerous driving while intoxicated, and drink driving. A third charge of speeding was taken into consideration. The prosecution appealed against the sentence for the dangerous driving charge, initially arguing for four years' jail based on a 30 per cent reduction from the six-year maximum for the guilty plea. Following Justice Xu's request for further submissions, the prosecution revised the reduction to between 10 per cent and 20 per cent. Justice Xu determined that a 15 per cent reduction was appropriate, resulting in the final sentence being rounded down to five years’ jail, reflecting the egregious nature of the incident.
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