Van driver originally charged with attempted murder jailed 14 years for running over cyclist

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.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.Instead, submissions were made on his behalf seeking acquittal.The victim, 32-year-old Bangladeshi Hossen Selim, had suffered serious injuries from the collision along Kaki Bukit Avenue 5 on Mar 16, 2023.He fell into a coma and was taken back to Bangladesh about two years later, before dying in February 2025.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.They said Toh came to know the victim in late 2022 through their dealings in contraband cigarettes.In February 2023, Singapore Customs officers laid an ambush, disrupting a transaction between Toh and the victim. Hossen was captured while Toh escaped.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.Defence lawyers Eugene Thuraisingam, Johannes Hadi and Lai Zu En sought nine to 10 years' jail instead.Mr Hadi said the prosecution accepted that the victim's death may not be said to have been caused by the offence.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.JUDGE'S FINDINGSJustice 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.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.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.He saw no remorse demonstrated by Toh and did not give him credit for cooperating with the authorities.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.The initial charge presented was attempted murder and he claimed trial to this."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.He thus imposed six months' jail in lieu of 12 strokes of the cane. This is part of the 14-year jail term.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.By law, Toh cannot be caned since he is above 50 years old.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.