‘Necessary for deterrence’: Over 8 months’ jail for man who drove dangerously to evade arrest
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Ho Whai Keet drove dangerously as he led the police on a 20-minute chase before he was arrested in Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4.
PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READER
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- Ho Whai Keet, an unlicensed repeat offender, was jailed for eight months and two weeks, and banned from driving for eight years.
- Ho sped off from the police, driving against traffic and beating red lights in Bukit Panjang, reaching 115kmh, endangering pedestrians and other motorists.
- The judge emphasised the need for deterrence, highlighting Ho's deliberate endangerment and the potential for severe harm in residential areas.
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SINGAPORE – An unlicensed driver who drove against the flow of traffic and beat four red lights in Bukit Panjang as he tried to evade arrest has been sentenced to eight months and two weeks’ jail.
Ho Whai Keet, 46, was also handed an eight-year driving ban on Nov 5 by a district judge, who said the overall sentence was “necessary to achieve the goal of deterrence”.
In his written judgment, District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan said: “Those who drive dangerously to evade arrest, risking the safety of motorists, pedestrians and police officers, must be severely dealt with.”
On the night of Feb 15, Ho sped off after defying a police officer’s order to stop on the BKE, and violated various traffic rules before he hit a centre divider in Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4.
Ho pleaded guilty on Sept 18 to four charges, one each for driving without a licence, driving without insurance coverage, failing to stop when ordered by a police officer to do so, and dangerous driving.
Judge Koo’s judgment focused on the individual sentence for the dangerous driving offence.
As a repeat offender, Ho could have been sentenced to a fine of up to $10,000, or up to two years’ jail, or both.
Judge Koo said that at the hearing on Sept 18, he questioned the initial sentencing submissions by the prosecution, which had suggested four to six weeks’ jail for the charge.
The judge said he “could not comprehend” how such a low sentence could possibly be justified.
Such a lenient sentence could incentivise would-be offenders to gamble with the lives of others to evade arrest, knowing that their overall punishment would not substantially increase, he added.
The prosecution later revised its submission to a jail term of 5½ to eight months while the defence suggested six to eight months’ jail, he said.
In imposing eight months’ jail for this charge, Judge Koo noted that the level of potential harm was high, as most of Ho’s dangerous acts had taken place near residential areas.
At one point, Ho clocked up to 115kmh along Bukit Panjang Ring Road, where the speed limit is 50 kmh.
Ho also zipped past at least five zebra crossings without slowing down. Video footage also showed a pedestrian walking across a small, bending road just seconds before Ho sped past.
It was fortunate that the only damage caused was to the centre divider, said the judge.
Ho had deliberately put others in danger, said the judge, though he accepted that there were moments where Ho had abided by traffic rules.
Judge Koo noted that the jail term he imposed was about six times longer than what Ho might have faced had he been convicted only for driving without a licence and without insurance coverage.
“Justice requires that the punishment imposed on such recalcitrant and dangerous traffic offenders far exceeds that which they would suffer had they lawfully complied with the police’s instruction to stop their vehicles when required to,” the judge added.
Ho was handed between two weeks’ and six weeks’ jail for each of the other charges. The judge ordered a two-week term and the eight-month term to run consecutively.
Ho has traffic-related antecedents stretching back to 2006, when he was fined and handed a disqualification order for reckless and dangerous driving.
He was jailed on two separate occasions for driving while under a disqualification order and without insurance in 2016, and fined for driving without a licence and without insurance in 2021.
On Feb 13, 2025, Ho borrowed a car from his friend, claiming that his own vehicle was faulty.
At about 9.30pm on Feb 15, a patrolling police officer spotted the car travelling slowly along the BKE and signalled to Ho to stop.
Instead of stopping, Ho sped off towards Woodlands Road as the officer gave chase.
During the 20-minute chase, Ho drove against the flow of traffic to overtake two vehicles in Senja Road, and then cut into the path of a van in Bukit Panjang Road.
Along Bukit Panjang Ring Road, he straddled lanes to squeeze between a van and a motorcycle.
The pursuing officer lost sight of the car near Jelapang LRT station.
Ho continued driving, entering and exiting the KJE.
When Ho finally came to a stop in Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, a separate patrol vehicle had caught up with him.
On Feb 21, 2025, in releasing traffic accident figures, the Traffic Police (TP) said there appeared to be a lack of regard for rules among motorists.
TP said the number of people killed and injured in traffic accidents hit a five-year high
In the first half of 2025, more people were killed or injured
On Oct 31, TP said it will be using new cameras to spot traffic offences
TP said the decision to deploy the cameras was due to the worsening traffic situation.
