4 weeks jail for manslaughter for killing a bicylist

http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2014/09/mercedes-benz-driver-jailed-4-weeks-for-death-of-coffeeshop-assistan/

http://thecourtroom.stomp.com.sg/courtroom/cases/case-of-the-day/motorist-who-dozed-off-at-wheel-and-killed-cyclist-jailed-four-weeks

I'm reading this news about a driver who killed a bicyclist. The driver had been drinking and had fallen asleep according to the police report. Curiously no alcohol blood test seems to have been done.

In Australia they would immediately do a blood test alcohol check on a driver in this sort of instance.

Four weeks jail for killing a man however seems poor justice if you ask me. The Singapore justice system can be heavy handed - people have ended in jail for much longer times for much lesser offences. You can be jailed for up to a year in Spore for smoking marijuana.

Was the driver well connected? Did that help him get that sentence I wonder?

Part of his lawyer's mitigation plea was “was the global chief financial officer at Merrill Lynch International Bank and Bank of Singapore before he retired."

Doesn't that sound like - Hey I'm a big dude - a really big deal - you know what I mean?

It might have been better if the lawyer had said his client was overcome with remorse and had already donated a million dollars towards the care of the deceased's widowed mother. (Well, they say money talks don't they?)

Imagine how it would sound if a hawker seller made a similar type of plea...

Kan Kah Kow's plea was "he was the head cook of Huat Ah! Geylang restaurant and was the chief towkay of the Kopi Kopi Si Beh Shiok kopi tiam of Singapore and he also do charity work for the Bare White Lian Society - so please give chance even though he togo a bit and lunga and kill a luxury car driver on his bicycle. Sorry lah. He dunno how it happened cos he was sleeping."

I think the judge would have noted that he had been drinking and thrown him in jail for X years and caned him as well.

One thing is certain the world isn't fair. Maybe a better solution would have been to fine the driver a million dollars or more and donate the money to the bicyclist's widowed mother. And of course ban him from driving forever. He seems like he can afford to hire a driver or hire a taxi to chauffeur him around. Throwing the banker in jail won't bring back the dead. Taking his money and giving it to the dead man's mother for her rent, food, medical expenses and living - would at least have some positive effect.

I have little sympathy for people who are very rich and who do not use their wealth to prevent themselves from being a problem to their society.