Singapore upholds 11-year sentence for drunk driver
Singapore’s High Court upheld an 11-year prison sentence for a 46-year-old Australian citizen who is a Singapore permanent resident. The man pleaded guilty to dangerous driving that caused the death of a 64-year-old retiree, as well as repeat drink-driving. According to Channel NewsAsia, the court dismissed appeals by both the prosecution and the defence on September 7.
The prosecution sought a longer prison term, while the defence asked for it to be reduced. In addition to imprisonment, the convicted man was fined S$12,000 and banned from driving vehicles for 15 years. The initial sentence was handed down in February.
Crash circumstances
The accident occurred on April 23, 2023, on Dunearn Road in Singapore. The man was returning home from a children’s birthday party after drinking wine, and his two children, aged three and four at the time, were in the car.
According to the court, the driver failed to notice the 64-year-old Singaporean retiree, who was crossing the road towards the Bukit Timah Canal. The car was travelling at between 111 and 122 km/h, while the speed limit on that stretch was 70 km/h. The pedestrian died as a result of the collision, while the driver’s children were injured.
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Court decision
The prosecution asked for a sentence of 12 years and nine months in prison. The convicted man’s lawyers argued for a term ranging from six years and four months to eight years.
Judge Christopher Tan said there were arguments in both appeals, but they were insufficient to alter the sentence. He agreed with the prosecution that the discount for the guilty plea should have been 20%, rather than 30%, but overall described the lower court’s decision as justified.
The court also took into account, when imposing the sentence, a third charge of dangerous driving related to an incident in which the man’s children were in the car.
