It didn’t matter that he had others in the car with him.
Or that he had consumed a sedative which can leave users with bad balance, confusion and muscular coordination.
Eric Leong Teck Wai, 26, went on to bully a taxi driver on the road and his dangerous driving ended up killing his girlfriend.
Yesterday, the former air-con technician was sentenced to two years and nine months in jail.
Leong was driving down Hillview Avenue in his new car with his girlfriend and two friends at about midnight on Oct 22, 2013. They were planning to have supper.
While driving, a taxi pulled to the side to pick up a passenger and Leong gave two short honks before revving his engine and overtaking.
He then sped towards Bukit Batok East Avenue 2, going at about 80kmh, where the speed limit is 60kmh.
Leong was not done with the cabby.
When the taxi caught up with him, Leong slammed his brakes even though there were no vehicles in front.
The taxi then moved to a different lane, but Leong veered dangerously close to the taxi before speeding off.
But when he overtook another taxi, he lost control of his car and crashed into a tree.
Leong’s girlfriend, Ms Cheryl Ng, died in the accident.
FRACTURE
One of the other passengers, Tan Quan Jin, 18, suffered a fracture in his right thigh and spine, spending three days in hospital.
The other passenger, Mr Bay Kok Siong, 34, was flung through the windscreen but survived with cuts to his upper body, tenderness on his left foot and a fractured rib.
A toxicology report later showed that Leong’s blood contained traces of Lignocaine, an anaesthetic, and Phenazepam, a sedative.
Some of phenazepam’s symptoms include bad balance, slurred speech, confusion and bad muscular coordination. On top of the two charges of dangerous driving, Leong pleaded guilty to two other charges: one of procuring a youth for harassment, and another for abetment of theft in a dwelling.
In March 2013, Leong, who was working for an unlicensed moneylender, drove a then 15-year-old boy to a flat in Woodlands Drive 14, where the boy splashed paint on the debtor’s unit.
On Oct 12, 2013, Leong and Tan also broke into a Tanjong Katong bird shop. They stole 10 birds, 12 cages and a laptop, totalling some $6,250, as well as $500.
In mitigation, Leong’s lawyer Jayakumar Naidu said his client has mild mental retardation, with an IQ of just 63.
Furthermore, he has been wheelchair-bound since the accident and had metal plates put into his legs during surgery earlier this month.
He will require more surgery, and District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt agreed to allow Leong to start serving his sentence next Monday.
Source: www.tnp.sg
