A HIT-AND-RUN driver was sentenced to five months' jail and banned from driving for three years on Friday for failing to stop and remove his vehicle after an accident with a motorcyclist.

But 64-year-old Tew Hock Sew is appealing.

His bail of $10,000 was doubled pending his appeal. His passport was also impounded.

Tew pleaded guilty last month to driving off after his car hit package officer Ghazali Mohamed Noor's motorcycle. He also admitted removing his car without police permission.

The offences took place along Airport Boulevard at about 5.45am on Christmas Day in 2006.

A third charge of failing to render assistance to the 47-year-old who suffered severe injuries resulting in his death was taken into consideration.

A traffic court heard that Tew was driving along the extreme right lane of Airport Boulevard towards East Coast Parkway when he defied a 'No Right Turn'' signboard and made a U-turn into the opposite direction.

He ran into Mr Ghazali's path and hit his motorbike. The impact threw the rider off.

Tew did not stop to help the injured victim and drove off. He was then sending a Chinese national to the airport to catch a plane.

A witness saw the accident and pursued Tew, gesturing to him to return to the scene.

Meanwhile, Mr Ghazali was trying to get up when a car, driven by Lim Ah Mui, 59, ran over him. She, too, carried on driving.

Lim faces three similar charges and is out on bail.

Mr Ghazali was pronounced dead at the scene.

After dropping off the passenger, Tew returned to the scene five minutes later.

His lawyer, Mr Alfonso Ang, said in mitigation that it was never his client's intention to flee from the scene of the accident. He made an error for not stopping immediately and continued his journey to drop off the passenger.

Counsel also pointed out that there was no evidnece that the accident involving his client caused serious injuries to Mr Ghazali, and certainly the collision did not lead to the rider's death.

But District Judge Salina Ishak said it was clear from the facts that Tew was the one who trigerred the unfortunate incident by making an illegal U-turn and driving into the rider's path.