Edmund Chen had pleaded guilty on Jan 29 to one count of causing grievous hurt to a motorcyclist while driving a car without consideration for other road users. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: The courts have allowed former actor Edmund Chen’s five-day jail sentence over his role in a traffic accident to be stayed pending the outcome of his appeal.
The 64-year-old, identified in court records as Tan Kai Yuan, had come to the State Courts on Friday (Feb 6), days after he filed an appeal against the jail sentence on Feb 2.
District Judge Shawn Ho, who had earlier imposed the sentence on Chen on Jan 29, granted Chen’s application to stay his sentence and increased his bail from S$10,000 to S$15,000.
Judge Ho had decided on the jail term despite the prosecution asking for only a fine of between $3,000 and $5,000.
Chen had pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous hurt to a motorcyclist, 21, while driving a car without consideration for other road users. The accident had left the motorcyclist with multiple wrist fractures.
He was originally supposed to start serving his jail term on March 9 after Judge Ho granted him a deferment to sort out his affairs after Chinese New Year.
The judge also disqualified Chen from driving for five years.
Accompanied by his new lawyers Kelvin Ong and Dickson Chew from Contigo Law, Chen appeared composed while entering the courts on Feb 6.
During the court hearing, he discharged his previous lawyers Josephus Tan and Cory Wong from Invictus Law.
Ong said the defence was seeking a stay of execution for his jail sentence and driving disqualification.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephen Yeo asked for Chen’s bail to be increased as he had been convicted and faced a custodial sentence, but said the prosecution would leave the amount to the courts.
Meanwhile, Ong asked for his client’s bail to be increased to at most $15,000.
The court heard previously that Chen was driving along the AYE towards the CTE around noon on March 4, 2025. Just before the point of collision, he slowed down almost to a complete stop on the expressway, before filtering abruptly into another lane.
DPP Yeo said this was because Chen had not formed up in the correct lane but had still tried to enter the CTE/SLE by braking abruptly and filtering against a chevron marking.
The prosecution said Chen had failed to keep a proper lookout. A motorcyclist coming from behind crashed into Chen’s car despite swerving to avoid him.
The motorcyclist had to undergo surgery for multiple wrist fractures. He was hospitalised for two days and given 99 days of hospitalisation leave, but did not suffer permanent disability.
In sentencing Chen, Judge Ho described his actions as intentional violations of specific safety rules designed to prevent high-speed collisions.
Said the judge: “A driver who chooses to ignore expressway restrictions demonstrates a cavalier disregard for the significant risk of a high-impact crash.”
After the case concluded, a teary-eyed Chen told reporters he would like to apologise to the motorcyclist, and said the incident was a lesson and reminder for him to be aware of traffic safety.
Chen used to be a household name, appearing in multiple popular television drama series including Star Maiden and Patrol.
He left show business to take care of his daughter Chen Yixin when she was born in 2000, but later returned for occasional acting roles, including in television drama series Life Less Ordinary in 2017.
Chen is married to veteran actress Xiang Yun, known for her roles in classic local dramas such as The Awakening, Double Happiness and The Little Nyonya.
Their two children, including son Chen Xi, are also in show business. - The Straits Times/ANN
