HIS mother is HIV positive.
His stepfather has full-blown Aids.
And he has an uncle who is mentally subnormal.
On top of all this, Ng K H suffers from mental disorders
himself.
Then he was sentenced to eight months in jail for drug abuse.
Yesterday he pleaded with the appeals court judge not to send him
to jail.
His reason: I have to take care of my three sick family
members.
Yes, his story is sad, said the judge.
But no, he can't escape jail.
Still, Justice Tay Yong Kwang did take take pity on Ng, 32, a
financial services consultant.
He reduced Ng's sentence by two months.
Ng was hoping to have his earlier jail sentence for possession of a
controlled drug amended to a fine instead.
His lawyer, Mr Wendell Wong, argued that Ng was the main caregiver
of the family.
He is the legal guardian, appointed by the court, of his
mentally-subnormal uncle.
Ng himself suffers from claustrophobia and panic disorder.
His troubles began on his birthday on 21 May when the Central
Narcotics Bureau (CNB) raided a flat on Yishun Avenue 3, to find
him and a male friend with a blue tablet.
Ng had gone to his friend's flat after celebrating his birthday at
a party organised by his friends.
He admitted to CNB officers that the pill was his and he had taken
it to the flat. It was found to be a Class A controlled drug and
having it carries a maximum punishment of up to 10 years in jail or
a fine of up to $20,000 or both.
On 29 Aug, Ng pleaded guilty in the Subordinate Courts to
possession of a controlled drug. District Judge Roy Neighbour
sentenced him to eight months in jail.
In the appeal hearing yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor April
Phang argued that Ng should not be spared a jail term as Mr
Neighbour had found that he was not on medication for his
condition.
And he was also able to relieve stress by going out with friends
and going on short holidays.
And there was 'nothing in the psychiatric report' which said that
jail time would adversely affect him.
Ms Phang argued that there was a strong public interest to deter
offences relating to controlled drugs.
She said Mr Neighbour had also noted that Ng was an adult offender,
had received a tertiary education, and held a respectable job which
showed he was someone with intelligence.
Mr Neighbour had added: 'He is certainly not a young and impulsive
person who does not know any better.'
Mr Neighbour had also noted that Ng had not just consumed the drug
himself, but taken it with his friend and had even sent an SMS to
another man to join them.
BLIND
Mr Wong said his client's stepfather had been diagnosed with Aids
in 1999 and has a collection of symptoms and infections.
His mother then went for blood tests and discovered she had
HIV.
Since 2000, his stepfather's condition has deteriorated rapidly and
he is now blind in one eye.
He also has chronic lung disease and needs expensive medication,
treatment and regular hospitalisation.
Justice Tay said that while he was 'sympathetic' toward's Ng's
plight, he did not condone drug consumption or possession.
But he reduced the jail term to six months on compassionate
grounds.
His mother and stepfather declined to comment when The New Paper
approached them at home yesterday.
