Man jailed a week for lying to police about wife's whereabouts

When police officers came to his door looking for his wife, Claus Nicolajsen lied that she was not at home.

The officers had gone to the Sentosa Cove condominium unit to give her a breathalyser test after she drove into a lamp post following drinks at a golf club.

Nicolajsen, 45, who is Danish, was sentenced to one week's jail yesterday after he pleaded guilty to a charge of giving a public servant information he knew to be false. His lawyer, Mr Ong Ying Ping, indicated he will be appealing against the sentence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Lee Zu Zhao told the court that Nicolajsen's wife, Liu Xia, left home on Oct 22, 2019, to spend the afternoon with her friends at Sentosa Golf Club and had wine during dinner.

Liu left the golf club at around 9.30pm to return home and, while driving, hit a lamp post in Allanbrooke Road. She then drove away.

Nicolajsen met Liu at their carpark and also met a Sentosa ranger there, who told him his wife had hit something while driving earlier.

On Oct 23, 2019, at around 12.30am, a traffic police officer, several other police officers, a Sentosa ranger, and a security officer from the condominium went to the couple's unit to speak to Liu.

Nicolajsen, who answered the door, told them that his wife was not home but at Holland Village with her friends, a lie he repeated multiple times. He expressed irritation that they were there speaking to him after midnight after he had repeatedly denied that he had taken the lift up with his wife.

After confirming with condo security officers that Liu had not left the premises, the officers and the ranger went back to the unit and asked to enter it.

Nicolajsen did not allow them to do so and the traffic police officer gave Nicolajsen his name and contact number and told him to inform Liu to report to the Traffic Police headquarters later that morning.

Liu underwent a breathalyser test at the headquarters on Oct 23, 2019, at around 11am, more than 12 hours after the collision.

"The significant lapse of time resulted in the police being unable to obtain a reliable or accurate test of Liu Xia's breath or blood alcohol level around the time of the accident," said DPP Lee.

On March 15 last year, Liu was fined $1,400 and disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for three months after pleading guilty to two offences under the Road Traffic Act.

Nicolajsen will be out on bail pending the outcome of his appeal.