Nightclub reveller who leapt onto 70-year-old Grab driver's BMW gets $2,500 fine

Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
March 11, 2019

A nightclub reveller who downed six bottles of whisky with friends while celebrating his birthday decided to end the night by running over a car - literally.

But little did Chee Chu Siong know that he was also running into trouble.

For when the event management executive leapt on the bonnet of a BMW as it approached him in a carpark, before marching over the windscreen and roof, its driver had the in-car camera switched on to record his antics.

The clip has since been viewed more than 17,000 times on YouTube and also led to him being traced and prosecuted.

On Monday (March 11), Chee, 26, was 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 with his friends on May 4, 2018, and they left at around 3am the next day.

The group was 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 his client is remorseful, adding that Chee had also 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.