Motherly love as an excuse

Woman gets jail term dropped

What's this?!

Previously sentenced to 6 weeks of jail for driving without a licence, Catherine Peter (wife of a commercial pilot, housewife, and mother of 2) has gotten her jail term dropped in her latest appeal.

"Justice V K Rajah decided to set aside the jail sentence, saying that Peter was not likely to repeat the offence. He added that "this decision does not signify the present judicial status ... but it is a one-off case that commands a departure from the norm". "

Fwah! So special for her...

Please! She's obviously recalcitrant!
Know why she was driving without licence on 29 Aug 2009? Coz her licence had been previously suspended for drink-driving on 9 Apr 2009, just 4 months ago! If this is not being recalcitrant, what is? Simpy no regard for our laws. 

She claims that she had to drive without a licence to the mall coz she couldn't find a cab and had to get to the mall to buy her sick son a toy. Guess where her husband was while their son was ill? The commercial pilot was not overseas flying, but was in Singapore. He had gone to the SIA Sports Club that afternoon. Was her son really sick? Or perhaps she's a self-suffering wife holding the family together on her own? Hence, having to make unthinking decisions such as driving without licence just 4 months after getting caught for drink-driving?

While the report avoids mentioning the nationality or immigration status of Catherine Peter, it's quite obvious that her husband is a Foreign Talent and these are probably a couple of PRs or even New Citizens. This would explain why the judge had decided to drop the jail term, because a jail sentence complicates immigration matters for PRs/foreigners.

In addition, if this woman were to be sentenced to jail as decided in the district court earlier, her life in Singapore would be compromised, and immigration status affected. This would mean that she would not be able to take care of her kids, especially when her husband's work required regular travel overseas. All in all, a jail sentence for the wife would also mean that Singapore might altogether lose her husband, i.e. a Line Instructor and Pilot of the A380 fleet, Flight Operations Division of Singapore Airlines.  

Even if the complications arising from their immigration status were disregarded, it makes one wonder if we had ever jailed a mother of young children, rendering these children 'motherless' for some time. Is it more ok then to jail local mothers coz their kids could be taken care of by the extended family in Singapore?

Will the Prosecution be appealing against the appeal decision?