Judge raps driver for treating Singapore roads like ‘private racing track’

SINGAPORE — In the second case of dangerous driving heard before the same judge in as many days, a 44-year-old man was rapped on Wednesday (May 23) for reoffending barely five years after he was convicted of a similar offence.

Ho Kok Siong, who previously served a five-week jail term and two-year driving ban for dangerous driving, was given a harsher sentence of two months' jail and a five-year driving ban for instigating an overtaking match in the Bugis vicinity last year.

In sentencing Ho on Wednesday, District Judge Mathew Joseph said he — together with another man the judge sentenced on Tuesday for leading the police on a four-minute car chase in Geylang — treated the Singapore roads like a "private racing track", where "you do what you want".

"Drivers like you should be taken off the roads for the sake of other law-abiding road users," he said.

Ho's latest offence started somewhere along Ophir Road around 3pm on Jan 8 last year, when he drove his car into the path of Mr Ngiam Hian Yong from the left.

Ho — who works in event management — then drove in front of Mr Ngiam for about a minute, before the 27-year-old overtook him.

He then swerved abruptly into the path of Mr Ngiam's car at Middle Road, causing the latter to jam his brakes to avoid collision.

Subsequently, Mr Ngiam switched two lanes to get away from Ho, who continued to follow him closely.

When their vehicles came to a halt at a traffic light junction at North Bridge Road, Ho stepped out of his car, stood in front of Mr Ngiam's car, and confronted him using vulgarities.

Mr Ngiam lodged a police report on the matter the following night.

Noting Ho's similar conviction of dangerous driving in 2013, DJ Joseph told him: "Seems like you didn't learn your lesson … A short while ago, you asked your counsel to ask for a sentence lower than what you (previously incurred). You've showed no remorse."

In sentencing submissions, Ho's lawyer initially asked for a fine, before upping it to four weeks' jail, then five months' jail, before finally asking for five to eight months' imprisonment.

Crying in court on Wednesday, Ho told the judge that it was "a moment of folly".

Pleading for leniency on the account that he is a single parent of two children, aged 11 and 12, and the sole breadwinner who has to care for his 72-year-old mother, he added: "I have learnt my lesson … Please give me a last chance for me to turn over a new leaf … I promise you will never see me again in court for any offences."

But DJ Joseph's reply to Ho was that he has to bear the consequences of his actions.

Besides serving a five-week jail term and two-year driving after being convicted in 2013 for dangerous driving, court documents showed that on Sept 29, 2001, Ho was convicted of an offence of driving while he was disqualified from driving in relation to another offence. He was then sentenced to two months' jail and banned from driving for four years.

Ho could have been jailed up to two years and/or fined up to S$10,000 for his repeat offence of dangerous driving.