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SINGAPORE: A van driver originally on trial for attempted murder for running over a fellow contraband cigarette dealer was sentenced to 14 years’ jail on Wednesday (Sep 2) for a downgraded charge.<\/p>\n
The charge was amended to voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon in the form of a van near the close of trial. However, 51-year-old Singaporean Toh Sze Ee chose not plead guilty to the amended charge, the judge noted.<\/p>\n
Instead, submissions were made on his behalf seeking acquittal.<\/p>\n
The victim, 32-year-old Bangladeshi Hossen Selim, had suffered serious injuries from the collision along Kaki Bukit Avenue 5 on Mar 16, 2023.<\/p>\n
He fell into a coma and was taken back to Bangladesh about two years later, before dying in February 2025.<\/p>\n
Deputy Public Prosecutors Hay Hung Chun, Wong Shiau Yin and Phoebe Tan had sought 14 to 14.5 years’ jail, taking into account the serious injuries and Toh’s culpability.<\/p>\n
They said Toh came to know the victim in late 2022 through their dealings in contraband cigarettes.<\/p>\n
In February 2023, Singapore Customs officers laid an ambush, disrupting a transaction between Toh and the victim. Hossen was captured while Toh escaped.<\/p>\n
Toh later believed that the victim would have implicated him. He took matters into his own hands while driving a van behind the victim who was on a bicycle, said the prosecution.<\/p>\n
Defence lawyers Eugene Thuraisingam, Johannes Hadi and Lai Zu En sought nine to 10 years’ jail instead.<\/p>\n
Mr Hadi said the prosecution accepted that the victim’s death may not be said to have been caused by the offence.<\/p>\n
He said it was undisputed that Toh had travelled at a modest speed, with no acceleration in any way to increase the potential blunt force trauma.<\/p>\n
Justice Andre Maniam said Toh had a motive to cause grievous hurt to the victim because he was concerned that the latter had implicated him or might do so.<\/p>\n
He accepted the defence’s contention that there was no premeditation or elaborate planning, but said this did not detract from the intention to hurt the victim.<\/p>\n
Although the van was driven at a constant speed of 30kmh, this was sufficient to cause serious injury to the victim, and Toh did not help him afterwards, said the judge.<\/p>\n
He saw no remorse demonstrated by Toh and did not give him credit for cooperating with the authorities.<\/p>\n
He noted that Toh was 48-and-a-half years old at the time of the offence and would have been liable to be caned if he had been sentenced before he turned 50.<\/p>\n
The initial charge presented was attempted murder and he claimed trial to this.<\/p>\n
“However, when the charge was amended to the present one at the stage of closing submissions, he chose not to plead guilty to it; instead, submissions were made on his behalf seeking acquittal,” said Justice Maniam.<\/p>\n
He thus imposed six months’ jail in lieu of 12 strokes of the cane. This is part of the 14-year jail term.<\/p>\n
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means is punishable by life imprisonment, or with up to 15 years’ jail, caning and a fine.<\/p>\n
By law, Toh cannot be caned since he is above 50 years old.<\/p>\n
He had separately pleaded guilty to offences under the Customs Act in March 2025 and was sentenced to 32 months’ jail for that, which he has completed serving.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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