Sep 3, 2010
Cabby jailed for road rage
<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh
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LIMOUSINE taxi driver Ke Hock Seng, 46, was jailed six weeks on Friday for punching a Yellowtop taxi driver last year. Ke had claimed trial to the charge and during the three-day hearing, he maintained that Mr Chan, 57, had sparked the row by showing his middle finger. He said he had only retaliated to fend off a punch from Mr Chan.
In his version, Mr Chan testified that while he was driving along New Upper Changi Road that day, Ke's vehicle nearly strayed into his path. He sounded this car horn twice and that got Ke angry. Ke leaned on his horn and followed him as he turned to Bedok South Avenue 3. At the bend of the exit, both taxis stopped and the two cabbies exchanged words.
As traffic was piling behind them, both cabs drove forward along Bedok South Avenue 3 and halted. Ke got out, walked towards Mr Chan's taxi and rapped his finger on the driver's window. When it was lowered, Ke scolded the other cabby for horning at him.
Mr Chan asked why Ke was driving dangerously and that was when the incident turned violent. Deputy Public Prosecutor Navin S. Thevar asked for a jail term of no less than a month as that was the minimum for road rage cases that had no exceptional mitigating factors.
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