He was also fined $800 for failing to keep a proper lookout, as a result of which his car hit a stationary vehicle along Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE).

He admitted committing the offences at about 3.30am on Feb 10 this year. Two other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The 37-year-old is out on $15,000 bail pending his appeal.

In passing sentence, District Judge Terence Chua said drink driving is a serious offence, putting public safety at risk.

The number of drink driving-related arrests has been climbing steadily since 2002, he said.

It went from 2,929 in 2004 to 3,650 in 2005, and rose again by another 83 offenders last year.

Drink-driving cases now make up about one-third of all cases handled by his court, which deals with traffic offences, said the judge.

He noted that in 2000, Goh was convicted of being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of drink. He was fined $1,000 for that offence.

The judge said it was most fortunate that in the Feb 10 accident, nobody was injured.

'While the level of alcohol in his system was not more than twice the prescribed limit, 56 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath is not insubstantial either,' he said.

The accident showed the Goh had poor control of the vehicle and the judge felt that a jail term was 'more than warranted'.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Crystal Ong told the court earlier that the stationary car that Goh hit had earlier veered off the expressway.

The driver and passengers had got out and were waiting for the tow-truck when Goh arrived and hit the car.

Goh failed an instant breath test done there.

His lawyer, Mr Lee Teck Leng, said his client had stopped immediately and checked on the other car's passengers, offering his apologies.

Pleading for leniency, he cited Goh's charity work, such as performing in several charity shows and doing voluntary service for the Epilepsy Care Group since 2001.

Mr Lee said: 'Our client deeply regrets his actions and he hopes that other potential drink drivers will be reminded of the dangers of drink driving through the media publicity surrounding his case, and perhaps learn from his undoubted folly.'

DPP Ong said Goh deserved a jail sentence just like MediaCorp actor Christopher Lee, whose $3,000 fine and two-year ban for drink driving were stiffened to two weeks' jail and three years' disqualification after the prosecution appealed.

After the sentence was passed, Mr Lee said he was filing a notice of appeal. He said there was another drink-driving case pending appeal at the High Court, and the facts were similar. The other motorist is also appealing his sentence of three weeks' jail and a four-year ban.

Seated in the dock, Goh said in response to a query by a reporter: 'I'm all right.'

elena@sph.com.sg