High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack
Jeremiah Ng En You was driving his twin brother's car when he ploughed into several vehicles that had stopped at a red light.
SINGAPORE – Despite severe penalties and jail time, some drivers continue to gamble with their lives and that of others, said the High Court.
And in the case of Jeremiah Ng En You, 36,
who killed one and injured six in December 2021 , the heaviest punishment for him will be the lifelong burden of knowing that his irresponsible and selfish action of drink driving claimed an innocent life, it added.
On July 14, the High Court dismissed Ng's appeal against his seven-year jail sentence for dangerous driving causing death.
The court noted that while he had shown remorse by making voluntary compensation of about $457,000, such efforts were outweighed by the harm caused by the accident.
Ng was sentenced in October 2023 after pleading guilty to one count of drink driving and another for causing the death of a Gojek driver by driving in a dangerous manner.
He will also be disqualified from driving for 12 years after his release.
The District Judge who sentenced him at the time had said he treated the roads 'like the Grand Prix driving circuit'.
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On the night of Dec 31, 2021, Ng had dinner with his brother and two friends at his office in Tampines Street 93 and drank four cans of beer.
When they left at about 11pm, Ng got behind the wheel of his brother's car, while the brother sat in the front passenger seat.
He sped while driving along Tampines Avenue 1 at around 11.10pm, travelling at between 157kmh and 169kmh even though the speed limit there is 60kmh.
As he approached the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 10, he slowed down to between 122kmh and 130kmh, but lost control of the vehicle as he was about to turn left.
The car had instead gone straight, smashing through the centre divider along Tampines Avenue 10 and colliding directly into the side of a car driven by a Gojek driver who had two passengers at the time.
The private-hire car then struck the right side of a second car and the front of a third car.
A motorcycle was passing between the Gojek car and the second car at the time, and the motorcyclist was crushed between both vehicles. The second car also hit the right side of a nearby taxi.
Officers who arrived on the scene shortly after found Ng reeking of alcohol. They arrested him after he failed a breathalyser test.
The 59-year-old Gojek driver was pronounced dead at 12.01am the next day after he was taken to Changi General Hospital.
Six others, including the two passengers in the Gojek, suffered injuries.
The motorcyclist, who was crushed between two cars, suffered the most significant injuries, including traumatic brain injury and fractures that left him with long-term disabilities.
The accident involved three other cars, a taxi and a motorcycle.
PHOTO: SG ROAD VIGILANTE - SGRV/FACEBOOK
In its grounds of decision for dismissing Ng's appeal against his sentence, the High Court said this was considered one of the most serious cases of dangerous driving whilst under the influence of drink.
It said: 'It is plainly foolish and hazardous to drive in this manner on any occasion. Our public roads are not a racetrack.'
The High Court added that this warranted the maximum jail term of 10 years, which was reduced by 30 per cent on the basis that Ng pleaded guilty.
It said that while it was honourable and remorseful of Ng to make voluntary compensation of around $457,000, this was outweighed by the death, injuries and property damage caused.
As such, it could not find sufficient mitigating reasons to reduce the sentence.
For dangerous driving causing death, an offender can be jailed for between two and eight years as a first-time offender. If the offender is a serious offender, he can be jailed between one year and two years more.
The penalties for drink driving for a first-time offender are a jail term of up to 12 months, a fine of between $2,000 and $10,000, or both. Offenders may also face driving bans.
The High Court said: 'In a country where order and general public safety define daily life, the decision to drive under the influence stands out not just as a reckless act, but as a dangerous betrayal of public trust.
'Drink driving is not just about broken laws or a mere lapse in judgment; it is about preventable tragedies and an act of seeming convenience with potentially disastrous consequences.'
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