SINGAPORE — The lorry driver involved in a viral road rage incident with a cyclist in 2018 was on Tuesday (Jan 14) jailed for seven weeks and given a two-year driving ban.

Teo Seng Tiong, an odd-job worker who turned 59 on Tuesday, was convicted of committing a rash act endangering human life.

He was also fined S$500 for failing to file a police report within 24 hours of the accident, which happened along Pasir Ris Drive 3 on Dec 22, 2018. 

The cyclist, Mr Eric Cheung Hoyu, a 35-year-old British national, was fined S$2,800 for his role in the incident last April, after he pleaded guilty to two charges of committing mischief and not cycling in an orderly and careful manner.

A video of the incident went viral on social media and sparked an online debate over which of the two parties was at fault. Both had to face charges later. 

Teo claimed trial to his charges, saying that he had “swerved instinctively” into the cyclist’s path because he thought he had hit a taxi.

With the sentence, Teo’s lawyer Chia Boon Teck told the court that his client will be appealing against both his conviction and sentence.

Pending the appeal, he remains out on bail, which was increased by S$1,000 to S$6,000. 

During mitigation, Mr Chia stressed again that the cyclist played a “leading role” in the traffic incident by inconsiderately hogging the road, deliberately ignoring motorists who were trying to overtake him, then taking the law into his own hands by smashing the side mirror of Teo’s lorry.

Urging the court to impose a light custodial sentence not exceeding two weeks and a driving ban of less than six months for Teo, Mr Chia said: “Given that the cyclist who caused the entire incident was sentenced only to a fine of S$2,800 for his leading role in the traffic incident, the above sentencing position is fair and just.”

JUDGE ACCEPTS DRIVER WAS PROVOKED

On the other hand, the prosecution asked for 10 weeks’ imprisonment and a three-year driving ban on top of a fine, submitting that Teo was the aggressor who first took out his frustration on the cyclist for blocking his path. 

Deputy Public Prosecutors Gabriel Choong and Zhou Yang said: “He tried to overtake the cyclist despite it being unsafe to do so, and then intimidating the cyclist by driving very close to him. It was in this context that the cyclist struck the accused’s side view mirror.

“The cyclist’s actions should not be condoned and he has been dealt with in accordance with the law.

“However, the accused’s retaliation was entirely disproportionate. The damage to the mirror amounted to S$15, but the accused reacted by endangering the cyclist’s life.”

They continued: “In balancing the cyclist’s conduct against the accused’s response, no mitigation weight should be accorded on account of provocation, especially given that it was the accused who first drove aggressively.”

Weighing the points, District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt decided to pass a lower sentence than what the prosecution had asked for, disagreeing that Cheung did not provoke Teo.

PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS

During the hearing, Teo’s criminal records were read out, revealing the extent of his past brushes with the law which were not previously known to the public.

In the 1990s, Teo was convicted of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, committing an obscene act and causing affray. 

He was convicted again in 2007 and 2012 for insulting the modesty of a woman and voluntarily causing hurt respectively.

The court also heard that he has had a string of traffic convictions between 1999 and 2015.

They include failing to give way to approaching vehicles, speeding by exceeding the speed limit by 31km/h to 40km/h, careless driving, and failing to conform to a red-light signal.