Man convicted again of drink driving gets jail, $18,600 fine

Man convicted again of drink driving gets jail, $18,600 fine

A 32-year-old financial planner was yesterday jailed for seven weeks and fined $18,600 for a series of drink-driving offences.

Lebon Tan Wei Xiang, who pleaded guilty to five charges under the Road Traffic Act, is also disqualified from driving for five years after his release from prison.

A traffic court heard that on the morning of Aug 9 this year, Tan went to his car after a night out drinking at Orchard Plaza.

At about 6.50am, as he was driving out of the basement carpark there, he lost control of his car and crashed into the carpark gantry booth and arm barricade.

Tan then drove to a coffee shop near Keong Saik Road for breakfast.

At about 8.40am, while driving along the Pan-Island Expressway, he got into a minor accident.

A traffic policeman later noticed that Tan reeked of alcohol and conducted a breathalyser test.

A second breathalyser test at the Traffic Police Department found his breath alcohol level to be twice the legal limit of 35mcg per 100ml of breath.

The court heard that Tan, who had a drink-driving conviction in July 2011, was also twice arrested for the same offence late last year.

On Aug 15 last year, at about 4.20am, he was stopped at a road block in Whitley Road and was arrested after failing a breathalyser test.

On Nov 24 that year, at about 3.40am, Tan also got into a minor crash with another car near the exit of the carpark at Liang Court.

A policeman had noticed that Tan reeked of alcohol; he was arrested after failing a breathalyser test.

The maximum penalty for drink-driving over the legal limit is a $5,000 fine or six months' jail on a first conviction, and 12 months' jail on a subsequent conviction.

Those convicted will also be disqualified from driving for at least 12 months.

The maximum punishment for driving without due care and attention is a $1,000 fine and six months' jail on a first conviction, and a $2,000 fine and 12 months' jail on subsequent convictions.

The maximum penalty for those who fail to stop after an accident, such as the gantry incident, is a $1,000 fine or three months' jail on a first conviction, and a $2,000 fine or six months' jail subsequently.

amirh@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on December 24, 2015.
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