Off-duty sergeant jailed after drink-driving police car crash
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 6 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 57-year-old off-duty police station sergeant, Sham Wing-yin, was jailed for two weeks after pleading guilty to eight offences arising from a night of drink-driving and dangerous driving linked to the East Kowloon Regional Headquarters. He was also fined HK$20,000, banned from driving for two years, and ordered to take a driving improvement course, with the court stressing that a serving police officer had shown disregard for the law.
Key Points
- Sham Wing-yin, 57, admitted two counts of dangerous driving and six other offences at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts in case KTCC 78/2026.
- On January 6 at about 11:51pm, he collected his private car from level five of East Kowloon Regional Headquarters and was seen walking in a zigzag manner.
- While turning right on level two, he understeered and hit a police vehicle, damaging both cars and dislodging the police car’s number plate.
- He drove off without stopping or reporting, later suddenly changed lanes near the northbound Tate’s Cairn Tunnel entrance, hit cones and a traffic sign, and nearly collided with a bus.
- Police identified and called him around 3am; he said he was unaware, but after returning at about 4:30am, a breath test showed 46 micrograms per 100 millilitres, above the 22-microgram legal limit.
Why It Matters
The ruling underscores the court’s view that police officers are expected to uphold, not breach, traffic and drink-driving laws, especially when offending conduct occurs at police premises and continues over several hours. The sentencing remarks also suggest limited judicial tolerance for non-custodial options where an officer leaves multiple collision scenes and initially denies knowledge of the incidents.