William Teng Guan How, 63, pleaded guilty on April 7, 2025, to drink driving and performing a rash act that endangered human life. His sentencing is scheduled for April 9.
The incident occurred on August 27, 2024, at Seletar Country Club. Teng attended a golf event followed by a corporate dinner where he consumed two shots of whiskey around 7:45pm. He decided to drive home at approximately 9:30pm while intoxicated.
Court proceedings revealed Teng took a wrong turn within the club compound. He drove into a restricted area and began an eight-minute journey of destruction captured on CCTV.
Between 9:37pm and 9:45pm, Teng damaged multiple items on the property. He knocked over plants, hit a water pipe causing water to leak, dented a metal shed, damaged garden lights, and drove through a playground. He eventually reached the pool area, which was closed at that time.
CCTV footage played in court showed Teng driving his car into the swimming pool. He then reversed out before driving the front half of his car into the pool again.
The incident damaged drain covers, a handgrip, tiles at the pool edge, and a railing.
After 9:45pm, a security guard notified a senior security shift leader about a car in the swimming pool. The security leader found Teng in the driver’s seat and offered help by knocking on the window.
Teng did not lower the window but tried unsuccessfully to reverse out of the pool. The security leader helped Teng exit the vehicle and escorted him to the security office.
When the security leader returned from assessing the damage, Teng had left the office. He was later found at the golf complex within the club grounds.
Police were called around 10pm. Teng was arrested after failing a breathalyzer test. His breath alcohol content measured 63 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. This is almost double the legal limit of 35 micrograms.
The total repair costs for the damage to at least 10 different structures amounted to $17,969. Teng made full restitution to the country club on September 19, 2024.
In court, Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Ang requested a sentence of eight to 10 weeks’ jail for the rash conduct charge. He also asked for a $5,000 fine with a disqualification period of 30 to 36 months.
Teng’s lawyer, Mark Cheng from PKWA Law Practice, asked for a heavy fine instead of jail time. He argued that the case didn’t warrant imprisonment.
District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan disagreed with the defense. The judge stated it would be insufficient to impose only a fine in this case. He noted that Teng was clearly unfit to drive and not in a state to understand what was happening.
The judge added that a vehicle is dangerous when handled by someone unable to control it properly. He said it was fortunate that Teng got stuck at the country club rather than accessing public roads.
Court records showed Teng had several traffic offenses between 2016 and 2017. These included speeding, driving across a road divider, and running a red light.
First-time drink driving offenders can face up to a year in jail and fines up to $10,000. Repeat offenders may receive up to two years’ jail and fines up to $20,000.
