Man fined $2,500 for jumping onto car

Chee Chu Siong leapt onto a car, not realising he had been caught on video.
Chee Chu Siong leapt onto a car, not realising he had been caught on video. ST FILE PHOTO

A nightclub reveller who had downed six bottles of whisky with friends while celebrating his birthday decided to end the evening by climbing onto a car.

Event management executive Chee Chu Siong had leapt on the bonnet of a BMW as it approached him in a carpark, before clambering over the windscreen and roof.

Unbeknown to Chee, the driver of the BMW had switched on the dashboard camera, which was recording his antics.

The clip went viral and has been viewed more than 17,000 times on YouTube.

Chee, 26, was subsequently traced and prosecuted.

He was yesterday fined the maximum of $2,500 after pleading guilty to committing a rash act that endangered the personal safety of others.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Li Yihong said that Chee had gone to a St James Power Station club to celebrate his birthday with friends on May 4 last year.

The group left at around 3am the next day. They were walking through a nearby carpark when Chee spotted the BMW, which was being driven by 70-year-old private-hire car driver Koh Poh Choh.

DPP Li added: "As the complainant was driving up to the accused and his friends, the rest of the group moved to the side of the road, but the accused ran into the path of the complainant's car.

"The complainant was forced to bring his car to a complete stop so as not to crash into the accused.

"The accused then jumped onto the bonnet of the complainant's car just as the car came to a stop."

The court heard that Chee then stepped over the windscreen and climbed onto the roof before jumping off and walking away.

Mr Koh was unable to alight in time to detain Chee.

Chee was represented by lawyers Josephus Tan and Cory Wong from Invictus Law Corporation.

Mr Tan told the court that Chee was remorseful and had paid the full compensation of $12,300.

Offenders convicted of committing a rash act that endangers the personal safety of others can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $2,500.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 12, 2019, with the headline Man fined $2,500 for jumping onto car. Subscribe