SINGAPORE - A motorist handed a forged driving licence to a policeman who found him reeking of alcohol next to a car - all while he was banned from driving for committing similar offences.

Tan Siew Jing had been given eight weeks' jail and banned from driving for three years in November 2014 for offences, including drink driving and handing his brother's NRIC to the authorities instead of his own.

But the 57-year-old did not learn his lesson and on Tuesday (July 10), he pleaded guilty to one count each of using a forged driving licence, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

For his current offences, the Singaporean was sentenced to 22 weeks in jail, fined $1,000 and disqualified from driving for six years.

The court heard that in April last year, Tan gave his brother's particulars to an acquaintance known only as "33" and asked his help to obtain a bogus driving licence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor David Koh said that 33 then went to Malaysia, obtained the forged document and gave it to Tan the following month.

At around 7pm on Sept 25 last year, Tan took his wife's car keys without her knowledge and went to an East Coast Park seafood restaurant where he drank alcohol.

Around two hours later, he drove to a grass verge near the National Sailing Centre where he parked.

A Police Coast Guard officer noticed that the car's engine was running and Tan next to it, reeking of alcohol.

When asked, Tan gave the policeman the forged licence and later failed a breathalyser test. He was arrested and escorted to the Bedok Police Division Headquarters.

DPP Koh said: "There, knowing that he had to undergo a fingerprint verification, he admitted that the document was forged and provided his true particulars to the police officers."

For using a forged licence, Tan could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined.