SINGAPORE — After a car reversed into his parked vehicle as he stood next to it, a man decided to make a false report to the police and his insurer. He lied that he suffered neck pain as a result of being injured in the incident.
Chai Wen Hin, 29, was sentenced to two days’ jail on Monday (Oct 23) after pleading guilty to providing false information to the police.
The court heard that on May 11, 2021, Chai was standing outside his parked car along Park Crescent when another driver, Mr Ho Jin Sam, allegedly reversed his car and hit Chai’s vehicle.
Chai asked Mr Ho to provide his contact number after the incident but the other man purportedly refused.
The next day, Chai went to the Ang Mo Kio South Neighbourhood Police Centre where he made a police report of the accident to Sergeant Swee Wei Ern.
Prior to making the report, Chai had gone to see a doctor who gave him four days of medical leave.
Chai told the doctor that he was in a stationary car when he was hit from the front by Mr Ho’s car that was reversing.
He claimed that he was wearing his seatbelt at the time and that the airbags were not deployed, and he experienced pain over his neck from the impact of the accident.
However, closed-circuit television footage showed that he was standing outside his car at the time, Deputy Public Prosecutor Eric Hu said.
In his police report, Chai had stated that he was waiting for a friend in his parked car when the incident occurred.
Chai also made an accident report to the General Insurance Association for an insurance claim against Mr Ho for the damage caused to the car, and indicated that he suffered injury on his neck and felt pain.
About two months after the report was made, an investigation officer from the Traffic Police realised that Chai had provided false information and called him in for questioning on July 5, 2021.
It was then that Chai recanted and retracted his false police report, as well as his claim in the GIA report and stated that he was not injured as a result of the accident.
‘ACTIONS WERE PREMEDITATED, PERSISTENT AND PLANNED’
Seeking a sentence of at least five days’ jail, DPP Hu said that Chai’s actions were premeditated, persistent and planned.
Not only did he go to see a doctor to obtain a medical certificate, but he also lied to the doctor about his neck injury due to the collision and went to make a police report to perpetuate this lie, said DPP Hu.
The prosecution added that the falsehood was also serious as Chai had falsely claimed in his insurance claim that he had been injured.
District Judge Shawn Ho agreed with the prosecution that there was premeditation, persistence and planning, underlined by the fact that Chai provided certain details in his account to the doctor.
The judge added that Chai had a history of dishonesty-related offences. The court heard that Chai had previously been involved in a case of criminal breach of trust and misappropriating property.
For furnishing false information to the police, Chai could have been jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$5,000, or both.