Shane Pow, the former Mediacorp actor, was sentenced to 5 weeks in jail and slapped with a $6,000 fine for his 2nd drink driving offence.
He was also banned 5 years from driving.
Pow was found with at least 49 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of his breath, far exceeding the 35 microgrammes legal limit.
He was driving along Java Road towards Nicoll Highway at about 11.30pm on 17 September 2020.
Pow’s lawyer, S S Dhillon, argued that Pow’s offence was a “victimless crime”, and that Pow was “completely shell-shocked”:
“He is so dislocated and petrified that the accused will never dare to be anything less than a law-abiding citizen henceforth. This fear has sent shivers down his spine, which in itself is a grave punishment for the accused.”
He added:
“In fact, he had only drunk to appease his friend as it was his birthday.”
The Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Goh Yong Ngee responded by calling that defence “at best neutral”:
“The fact that this is a victimless crime, as stated by the defence, is at best neutral. The offence of drink driving is established once the accused’s breath alcohol exceeds the prescribed limit. In such cases, a stiff deterrent sentence is called for in the interests of general and specific deterrence.”
Images source: @shanepowxp on IG and Singapore Prison Service