Van driver originally charged with attempted murder jailed 14 years for running over cyclist
The judge noted that even when the attempted murder charge was changed to voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, Toh Sze Ee chose not to plead guilty and instead asked for acquittal.
Singaporean Toh Sze Ee, 51, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on September 2nd for running over a cyclist with a van. The initial charge was attempted murder, but the judge downgraded it to voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon after Toh chose not to plead guilty. The victim, 32-year-old Bangladeshi Hossen Selim, suffered serious injuries in the collision on Kaki Bukit Avenue 5 in March 2023 and later died in Bangladesh in February 2025.
The prosecution argued that Toh came to know the victim in late 2022 through their dealings in contraband cigarettes, and after an ambush by Singapore Customs officers, Toh believed the victim might implicate him. Although the prosecution sought 14 to 14.5 years in jail, defense lawyers argued for nine to 10 years, citing the modest speed of the van.
Justice Andre Maniam noted that Toh had a motive to cause grievous hurt as he was concerned about the victim's potential implicating statements. He also rejected any premeditation or planning by Toh, but acknowledged the intention to harm the victim. Toh received an additional 6 months in jail for previously pleading guilty to customs offenses, bringing his total sentence to 14 years.
Written by urgent.news from CNA - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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