Taxi driver jailed for punching another driver at Sengkang car park

SINGAPORE: A man was sentenced to jail on Thursday (Jul 26) for punching another driver at a car park in Sengkang in September last year.

Wee Yew Chye, 48, was driving in a car in front of Mr Ow Cong Yang, 35, along Rivervale Crescent at about 4.50pm on Sep 15 last year.

Wee, who was a taxi driver at the time, was travelling at a slow speed near Block 182A, Rivervale Crescent, court documents said.

Mr Ow signalled his intention to overtake and sounded his horn a few times to alert Wee.

Wee's vehicle stopped a few times and Mr Ow overtook him at a left turn into a slip road leading to a multi-storey car park.

While Mr Ow drove past Wee, Wee gestured at him. He then followed Ow to the car park where he confronted the victim, asking why he had honked at him earlier. Mr Ow asked Wee why he had stopped his vehicle in front of his car.

Wee then punched Mr Ow twice on his face. When Mr Ow turned and walked away, Wee punched him again, on the back of his head and on his back. This was captured on video by the in-car camera of another vehicle.

Mr Ow called the police. He suffered tenderness and bruising and was given three days' medical leave.

District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt on Thursday sentenced Wee, who had pleaded guilty earlier this month, to three weeks' jail.

Wee's defence lawyer said that Wee had paid S$500 in compensation to Mr Ow and asked for just a fine, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Dwayne Lum asked for a sentence of four weeks' jail.

Acknowledging the compensation, the judge said he nevertheless agreed with the prosecution that this was a case of road rage and there should be a custodial sentence.

"Regardless of whose fault it was, it doesn't matter. There can never be any justification for a violent fight," he said.

For voluntarily causing hurt, Wee could have been jailed for up to two years and fined up to S$5,000.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said that the accused was a private-hire car driver. This is incorrect: Subsequent information provided by the courts showed he was a taxi driver.