Two Singaporean women have been sentenced to jail after a failed attempt to outsmart police officers by swapping seats in their car after evading a roadblock. The reason? The woman behind the wheel had no driving licence – and both had been drinking earlier in the night.
Their stunt, described by the presiding judge as “very, very silly”, resulted in real consequences: one woman was jailed for six weeks, the other for five.
Late-night drinks and a law-breaking decision
On 23 Dec 2023, Sun Weilin Estella, 32, and her friend Fong Yoke Mun, 29, met up late at night to drink at a pub. After knocking back around two pints of beer each, they decided to head off around 3am. Fong, the legal owner of the car, began to feel unwell and complained of a headache. Sun then volunteered to drive — despite not having a valid licence, reported CNA.
Fong agreed, fully aware that Sun only had a provisional driving licence and no Class 3 licence, which would legally allow her to drive. She assumed that with fewer cars on the road at that hour, the risk would be low. That gamble didn’t pay off.
Attempt to dodge roadblock and cover up backfires
As they approached a police roadblock at the junction of Upper Cross Street and Eu Tong Sen Street, Sun spotted officers roughly 100 metres ahead. In a panic, she reversed the vehicle in the middle of the junction and turned into Eu Tong Sen Street in an attempt to avoid the checkpoint.
Her actions immediately raised suspicions. One officer even flashed a torchlight to signal the vehicle to stop, but Sun kept driving. Officers followed in pursuit and caught up with the car at a red light along North Canal Road.
In a misguided attempt to cover their tracks, the women quickly swapped seats, with Fong taking the wheel. But their manoeuvre did not go unnoticed. Officers directed them to pull over and conducted separate interviews. The truth came out soon after – Sun was the one driving earlier.
Breathalyser tests revealed alcohol in both women
Both women failed the initial breathalyser tests and were arrested. Subsequent tests showed Fong had 46 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath – exceeding the legal limit of 35 microgrammes. Sun registered 19 microgrammes, below the legal threshold.
However, this did not help her case, as she was already in hot water for driving without a licence and attempting to obstruct justice by swapping seats.
Court takes a serious view on ‘foolish’ offences
On 6 Aug 2025, the women were each convicted of two charges. Sun was found guilty of driving without a licence and obstructing justice, while Fong was charged for allowing an unlicensed driver to operate her vehicle and participating in the seat-swap scheme.
District Judge Christopher Goh pulled no punches in court, calling their actions “very silly”. However, he stressed that driving without a licence was a serious offence, and the courts must treat such behaviour with the gravity it deserves.
Sun received a six-week jail sentence, while Fong was handed five weeks behind bars. Both women were also banned from holding or obtaining a driving licence for the next two years.