Road rage offender gets fine instead of jail

[MarrickG]

IN A rare move yesterday, a district court judge spared a motorist a jail term and fined him instead for assaulting another man in a road rage incident.

Singaporean Bjorn Henrik Jacobsen, 31, was fined $4,500 after he was found guilty of hitting Mr Sim Seng Jin in the shoulder and stomach along Upper Serangoon Road in December 2008.

He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 for voluntarily causing hurt.

Jacobsen, who was convicted earlier this year after a two-day trial, was fined another $1,500 for using threatening and abusive words on the 54-year-old chartered accountant.

In sentencing Jacobsen, District Judge Wong Choon Ning made it clear that the punishment was the exception rather than the rule.

“This is one of the very rare cases where I have spared anyone convicted of a road rage offence a jail term,” she said.

The judge added that while it was clear Jacobsen was at fault for hitting Mr Sim, she did not think it warranted a jail term after taking into account the circumstances leading to the encounter.

Jacobsen and Mr Sim had got into an argument after the victim allegedly cut into Jacobsen’s lane along Whampoa North Road around 2.30pm on Dec 9 that year.

The victim told the court that Jacobsen sounded his horn at him, abused him verbally and showed his middle finger.

Irritated, he responded by sounding his horn and shouting back.

When they stopped their vehicles at a junction along Serangoon Road, Jacobsen got out of his car and hit Mr Sim’s car and challenged him to “come out and fight”.

But the altercation did not end there. Near the Potong Pasir MRT station, Jacobsen caught up with Mr Sim again and spat out of his window onto the victim’s car.

Jacobsen alleged that Mr Sim spat back.

Then, near Upper Aljunied Road, Mr Sim claimed that Jacobsen had cut dangerously into his lane.

They got out of their cars and spat at each other. Jacobsen then attacked Mr Sim.

Judge Wong said that her ruling would not be the case for other such road rage offenders, noting that:

“No one driving on the road should take the law into his own hands, no matter how right he may feel or how wrong he may feel about the other motorist.”

When asked for his response outside the court yesterday, Jacobsen said: “What is there to feel? What is there to say? It won’t change anything.”

 

[DrPanacea]

The prosecution can always appeal for a harsher sentence.
Remember the case when when a road ass broke the arm of another chap who cut into his lane. Inspite of the victim begging for mercy, the road ass followed him all the way to SGH and tried to assault him further.
The aggressor was charged and initially fined only S$2000 thus prompting a public outcry. The case was reviewed and another judge awarded some 6 strokes of the rotan and a year in jail.

Looks like a similar case except no arm was broken here. But it begs the question - Can I break someone's face if I have S$4500?

 

[zhugeliang]

you can also be a road bully if you are rich or you are a employer that many people depend on you for a living. remembered that former chief justice yang pang how says mandatory jail sentence for road bully,,,, but couple of years ago taxi company boss get away with only fines because judge says that many people depend on him for a living.... my god "chief justice talk talk only",,,,, got money sama bulay..... in singapore you must have money and connection,,,,,, what is law and justICE...???? IF THE ROAD BULLY HAPPEN TO BE SOMEONE with average income "GOOD LUCK FOR HIM, SURE KANA LEFT/RIGHT/CTR)

 

[zhugeliang]

you can also be a road bully if you are rich or you are a employer that many people depend on you for a living. remembered that former chief justice yang pang how says mandatory jail sentence for road bully,,,, but couple of years ago taxi company boss get away with only fines because judge says that many people depend on him for a living.... my god "chief justice talk talk only",,,,, got money sama bulay..... in singapore you must have money and connection,,,,,, what is law and justICE...???? IF THE ROAD BULLY HAPPEN TO BE SOMEONE with average income "GOOD LUCK FOR HIM, SURE KANA jia lat jia lat

 

[Watchman]

The Courts are sending a signal that it's OK to assault IF only you are an Foreign Talent !

What are you going to do about it ? Nothing ?