It was like any other day typical day for Staff Sgt Khairulanwar, patrolling the streets and ensuring that there were no traffic offenders on the road when he noticed that a white maserati driver wasn’t having his seat belt on.
Just like any normal routine, he had stopped the driver Lee Cheng Yan to tell him of the offence, but little did he know that it would be his last day as an active policeman.
The incident happened along Bedok Reservoir Road in 2017 when the dutiful officer had stopped the driver but instead of complying to the routine stop, the maserati driver had speed off with the officer for more than 100m, as his uniform was caught on the car door.
It was a scene that you will only see on action packed movies and it was absurb as it was only normal routine stop for someone not wearing a seat belt.
It was later known that the driver did not have a valid driving license as his license had been revoked due to past offences and it was due to this that this dangerous and irrational act had happened, causing the poor officer to be treated for pain on his neck, lower back and knee and was given a 20 day medical leave after the incident and the injuries sustained will impact him for a long period of time.
Though the Defence lawyer S.Balamurugan had pleaded for a lighter sentence of not more than two years imprisonment with a higher fine and an “appropriate but not excessive” period of driving disqualification, the District Judge (DJ) Ng Peng Hong had thought otherwise and had sentenced him to 55 months imprisonment, a lifetime driving ban.
The DJ had said that Lee’s offences “warranted a retributive and deterrent sentence”and also ordered the accused of a fine of $3,700.
The Defence lawyer had mentioned to the courts that the accused intends to appeal against the orders.