SINGAPORE: It was a scene “reminiscent of a typical car chase in movie sets”. In pursuit of a passenger who had refused to pay the fare, taxi driver Aw Tai Hock got into a five-minute high-speed car chase through Yishun, forcing pedestrians to jump out of the way and causing an accident.



The incident on Jun 8, 2015 is “clearly one of the worst cases of dangerous driving”, said Judge of Appeal Steven Chong in sentencing Aw to five months’ jail on Friday (Oct 6).





This is an increase from his original three-month sentence, which prosecutors argued was manifestly inadequate. Aw, 56, is also disqualified from driving for three years.



DRIVER USED TAXI “AS A WEAPON”: JUDGE



It all started on Jun 7, 2015 when Aw got into an argument with Mohd Andy Abdullah who refused to pay the fare.



The next day, Aw waited for Andy at a carpark near the latter’s Pasir Ris flat and followed him when he drove off.





Aw tailed Andy to Yishun where he picked up a friend who wanted to “teach (Aw) a lesson”. Aw decided to leave, only to have Andy chase after him.



Andy cut into Aw’s path, got out of the car and hit the taxi with “long, thin objects” believed to be a parang and a baton, said Judge Chong.



When Andy and his friend drove off, Aw pursued them in a five-minute high-speed car chase through Yishun.



He drove at high speed over 11 speed bumps, ignored 11 “stop” and “slow” signs, almost collided with a lamp post and narrowly missed several pedestrians who jumped out of the way. Aw stopped the case when Andy’s car crashed into another vehicle, which overturned upon impact.



Andy then fled on foot. Aw, without checking on the other driver, stopped his taxi in the middle of the road and yelled at stunned passers-by to chase Andy. Aw then drove off, nearly colliding into a van and making an illegal U-turn in his continued pursuit of Andy and his friend.



The incident was captured on Aw’s own in-car camera, and the footage was played in court during Aw’s hearing in August. “It is apparent (from the footage) that Aw was intent on using his vehicle to wreak damage on Andy’s vehicle and possibly personal injury on its occupants,” said the Judge.



Aw had “used his taxi as a weapon with the aim (of causing) damage and in the process deliberately flouted numerous traffic rules,” he added. The court also heard that Aw had deliberately collided into Andy’s car five times. As for the “innocent driver”, he suffered a neck sprain and chest contusion.



The incident “is reminiscent of a typical car chase in movie sets. The difference is that here, no stuntman was involved,” said the Judge of Appeal.



At his appeal, Aw complained that Andy had gotten away with a lighter sentence when it was Andy who was the initial aggressor. However, Aw’s pursuit of Andy was “a considered decision to take justice in his own hands,” said Judge Chong.



Aw had said he followed Andy’s car “hoping that (he) would encounter any police cars along the way so that (he) could ask the police officer for help”. When it was pointed out he could have called the police, “all (Aw) could lamely say was that he had dropped his mobile phone … there was ‘no way’ he could have (called) the police,” Judge Chong added.



Andy was likewise charged for dangerous driving. He was fined S$2,000 and disqualified from driving for four months.



Because of unrelated drugs charges, Andy is in prison. He was sentenced to 10 years and six months’ jail and 16 strokes of the cane on Jul 13, 2016.

