SINGAPORE - One of the passengers in the car that crashed through a security barrier near Shangri-La Hotel last month was sentenced to eight years' jail and three strokes of the cane on Monday for drug offences.

Mohamed Ismail, 31, a cleaner, admitted to two counts of drug possession and one of drug consumption.

He was among three people in a red Subaru Impreza which failed to stop and crashed through the security barrier. Police fired a shot which killed the driver, Mohamad Taufik Zahar alias Ben, 34. The other accused Muhammad Syahid Mohamed Yasin, 26, who also faces several fresh charges, will plead guilty on Wednesday. The two men were originally accused of drug trafficking.

In Mohamed's case, the court heard that he had three packets of no less than 7.55g of powdery substance which was found to contain not less than 0.27g of heroin along Orange Grove Road at about 4.50am on May 31.

He also admitted to having two packets of not less than 1.41g of methamphetamine or Ice that morning as well as taking morphine the day before. He admitted in his statement that the heroin was for his own use.

He had bought three packets of heroin and two packets of crystalline substance from a man called Ah Boy near Geylang Lorong 15 on May 29 for a total of $480.

As he has been convicted of drug offences before, he received enhanced punishments.

Seven other charges including one of failing to stop at a police road block were taken into consideration during his sentencing.

His sentence was backdated to June 1.