ONE of Singapore's top restaurateurs will not be driving his Maserati - or any other car - for the next two years.

Giuseppe De Vito, 35, who owns the Il Lido chain of restaurants and also the Forlino, another Italian restaurant, was yesterday banned from driving for two years and fined $8,600 on three charges.

The Italian, who is a permanent resident and better known as Beppe De Vito, pleaded guilty to drink driving in the early hours of July 5 last year, dangerous driving and being abusive towards a policeman.

A traffic court heard that senior staff sergeant Goh Keng Seng was patrolling the junction of Stamford and Beach roads just before 3am that day when he saw De Vito driving in a dangerous manner.

He trailed the man to his home in Bournemouth Road in Katong.

On approaching him there, the police officer caught a strong whiff of alcohol. He put De Vito through a breathalyser test, which he failed.

Upon arrest, De Vito repeatedly hurled expletives at the officer, despite being warned.

At the police station later, his breath was found to contain 65mcg of alcohol for every 100ml of breath - almost twice the legal limit.

His lawyer Shashi Nathan from Harry Elias Partnership said in a written mitigation plea that his client, mired in marital problems, had recently been in a big fight with his wife which ended in her leaving their home. That day, he had gone to meet some close friends, who had wanted to cheer him up, and he had drinks with them.

Mr Nathan said his client, who has a four-year-old son, came to Singapore in 1995 and has been a permanent resident for 10 years. De Vito was deeply remorseful and was determined not to make the same mistakes again, added Mr Nathan.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Sept 20, 2008.

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