A RETIRED civil servant, who knocked down a 77-year-old pedestrian last May, was fined $8,000 on Thursday and banned from driving all classes of vehicles for four years.

His lawyer had pressed for a non-custodial sentence, saying his client Tan Heng Piu, 60, would stand to lose $900,000 in pension if he was jailed.

District Judge Jill Tan noted this in sentencing, adding that she had also considered his clean driving record and guilty plea.

The court heard that Tan was driving along Ang Mo Kio Avenue at about 6.20am on May 27 last year.

He was heading towards Upper Thomson Road and was approaching the signalised T-junction at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 when he 'failed to keep a proper lookout' and hit Mr Foo Jin Chew, who was crossing the road.

Tan's lawyer said the pedestrian was jaywalking and his client had the right of way.

Mr Foo suffered serious head injuries and died a few hours later at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital.