Judge Chay said he considered a few mitigating factors in the sentence, including Dhokia’s decision to plead guilty.
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A young Briton was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment Tuesday for walking onto the track during the Singapore Grand Prix in September, so he could film the cars on his mobile phone. He was seen casually strolling against the flow of traffic for a short distance while holding up a camera, before climbing over a trackside barrier to safety.
The 27-year-old has now been charged for committing the “rash” act, and will spend the next six weeks in a Singapore jail. In the video taken by Dhokia, the concerned shouts of marshals can also be made out.
“Any risky intrusion onto the race track can and could have resulted in disastrous and fatal consequences”, Fatt said.
During his trial in a Singapore Court, prosecutors described Dhokia’s actions as “endangering the safety of drivers”, as they had the potential to be “catastrophic”.
CCTV footage released hours after the night race on Sep 20 showed Dhokia entering the track via a gap in the fence.
“Given the very high speeds of the cars, the drivers would have had very little time to react to unforeseen and unpredictable interruptions”, the judge said.
Initially unable to post bail of S$15,000, Dhokia was eventually let out on a personal bond of the same amount on Oct 2, with the requirement that he report to the investigation officer daily, and reside with his parents, who had travelled to Singapore.
“He has therefore shown contrition”, the judge said. The six-week sentence was backdated to October 16 as he had voluntarily spent a period in remand.
In mitigation, Dhokia’s lawyer Mr Shashi Nathan said “a crushing blow” should not be dealt to his client, as Dhokia realises his mistake and is remorseful.
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Earlier this season a man invaded the track during practice in China before entering the pits, saying he wanted to drive one of the cars.
