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Jul 14, 2011
Priest fined $800 for inconsiderate driving
By Khushwant Singh
A Catholic priest, who ran a red light along Punggol Road and collided with another car two years ago, was fined $800 on Thursday. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
A CATHOLIC priest, who ran a red light along Punggol Road and collided with another car two years ago, was fined $800 on Thursday.
A district court heard that Father Kenson Koh, 47, was driving towards Tampines Expressway on the morning of Oct 18, 2009. He failed to stop his car when the lights turned red at the junction at Punggol Central, causing a collision with a car travelling across. Koh, whose full name is Peter Kenson Koh Ngiap Hern, pleaded guilty to inconsiderate driving.
He is the dean of studies at the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Punggol. On the day of the incident, the priest was to join Archbishop Nicholas Chia at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Queen Street to celebrate World Mission Sunday Mass.
While driving, Koh's thoughts had drifted to some difficulties he was experiencing performing his duties, and he had failed to notice the traffic lights. A few metres before the junction, he realised his mistake and slammed the brakes but it was too late.
Asking that the priest not be disqualified from driving, his lawyer from Michael Khoo & Partners, said that Catholic priests are required to attend to emergencies such as attending to the sick and the dying to perform last rites if called upon to do so at any time of the day or night. Hence, being able to drive to attend to such extreme emergencies at very short notice would greatly assist the priest in the performance of his duties, she added.
District Judge Salina Ishak did not impose a disqualification.
Jul 14, 2011
Priest fined $800 for inconsiderate driving
By Khushwant Singh
A Catholic priest, who ran a red light along Punggol Road and collided with another car two years ago, was fined $800 on Thursday. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
A CATHOLIC priest, who ran a red light along Punggol Road and collided with another car two years ago, was fined $800 on Thursday.
A district court heard that Father Kenson Koh, 47, was driving towards Tampines Expressway on the morning of Oct 18, 2009. He failed to stop his car when the lights turned red at the junction at Punggol Central, causing a collision with a car travelling across. Koh, whose full name is Peter Kenson Koh Ngiap Hern, pleaded guilty to inconsiderate driving.
He is the dean of studies at the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Punggol. On the day of the incident, the priest was to join Archbishop Nicholas Chia at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Queen Street to celebrate World Mission Sunday Mass.
While driving, Koh's thoughts had drifted to some difficulties he was experiencing performing his duties, and he had failed to notice the traffic lights. A few metres before the junction, he realised his mistake and slammed the brakes but it was too late.
Asking that the priest not be disqualified from driving, his lawyer from Michael Khoo & Partners, said that Catholic priests are required to attend to emergencies such as attending to the sick and the dying to perform last rites if called upon to do so at any time of the day or night. Hence, being able to drive to attend to such extreme emergencies at very short notice would greatly assist the priest in the performance of his duties, she added.
District Judge Salina Ishak did not impose a disqualification.
, ho!, ho!, ho! Ho!
