DUI or DWI : Celebs Latest Crime

Judging from the entertainment headlines of late, a growing number of celebrity scandals have the whiff of alcohol about them.

Socialite Paris Hilton’s violation of her probation on charges that she drove drunk last September led to a judge’s decision on Friday to jail her for 45 days.

This after everyone from Hollywood actor-director Mel Gibson - who shocked the world when he made anti-Semitic remarks last July while being arrested for drink driving - to former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff - the subject of a video that surfaced this week where he appears inebriated - has paid the price
for having one too many.

Closer to home, actor Christopher Lee, 35, - faces five charges following his arrest for drink driving last October near Mustafa Centre. He will have his fourth court appearance on Thursday.

Former TV host Benedict Goh was charged on Wednesday with the same offence. Breathalyser tests showed the 38-year-old’s blood alcohol level was above the legal limit on two occasions when the police stopped him - first in February 2004, and then in the same month this year when the car he was driving collided with a stationary vehicle on the Ayer Rajah Expressway.

While alcohol-related run-ins with the law aren’t limited to the rich and famous, it seems that being in the public eye makes people especially susceptible to the perils of alcohol.

The Art of Saying ‘No’

Former MTV VJ Max Loong - an actor who has worked with corporations such as Motorola, Nike and Johnny Walker - finds it harder in Asia to say “No” when offered cocktails by those who recognise him in clubs.

“People here really like to see you down the drinks,” said the 27-year-old Cosmic Film artiste, who goes clubbing at least once a week when he’s in town. “They do make your life a little difficult when you decline their offers so there’s not much you can do in such situations.”

The actor, who currently stars in MediaCorp TV Channel 5’s drama After Hours, admitted that he tends to oblige the people who wish to buy him a cocktail unless he has to work the next day.

“It’s really hard saying no, and I don’t like feeling bad about people wasting their money to buy me drinks. But if I really don’t want to or can’t, I just have to stay strong and say no.”

For a self-confessed beer lover like film-maker Eric Khoo - who calls himself “a heavy drinker when the mood strikes him” - it can be even harder to turn down a proffered pint. Of course, this often puts the 39-year-old director in the position of trying to work out how to get back to his house safely.

“If I’m driving and know I’m going out for a drink, I will either take a cab or ask my wife to drive me home.

“In situations where people offer to buy me drinks and I really can’t drink that day, I’ll ask them to buy me drinks another day.”

MediaCorp Radio Class95 DJ Jean Danker also finds herself treated to offers of free drinks when she’s out on the town.

“I’ll accept the drinks more often than not,” said the 28-year-old DJ. “To be polite, I’ll at least take a sip or two. I don’t think maliciously of the people who offer me drinks. They could be one of my listeners or someone who recognises me.”

In any case, she has the perfect answer so that no one is offended. “I’d say I am the designated driver for my group of friends,” That usually stops anyone from becoming too persistent, she added.

Clubs Play a Part

Even though the consensus among club operators here seems to be that Singapore celebrities are not the type to let one too many glasses of wine turn them into potential road hazards, club managers still take precautions where drinking is concerned.

These include well-known outlets like Zouk, St James Power Station, Club Momo and The Hacienda.

Explaining that it’s difficult to control the alcohol consumption of customers, The Hacienda owner Michel Lu, 35, said that measures such as calling a cab for customers - celebrities and non-celebrities alike - are in place to ensure that those who have had one too many get home safely.

“It’s a responsible business practice, something I’ve followed since I started my first bar,” he said.

The club impresario, who has played host to the likes of Kate Moss, Jude Law, Naomi Campbell and footballer Hidetoshi Nakata, added that anyone who seems to have had too many alcoholic beverages tends to be removed from the premises.

“But we’ve never had a problem with celebrities, who are just like any other customer to us,” Lu said. “Real celebrities are classy and understand that to get respect, they have to act in a certain way.”

Ning Ling, 35, the marketing and guest relations manager for Club Momo, agreed that it’s hard to control how much customers drink. She said: “If they are members or regulars whom we know personally, we will not get them any more drinks once they are drunk, unless they have friends or someone who is driving them home.”

In such cases, a cab is usually called for the customer, or he is escorted out of the club to take a breather.

Cheryl Khong, 27, the publicity manager for St James Power Station, said the entertainment complex has a drive-home service for celebrities who are deemed unfit to take the wheel. And she has their contact numbers to make sure they get home safe.

“Generally, local celebrities don’t drink a lot but, if they insist on drinking, we will serve them but, at the same time, make sure that someone else is driving them home.”

She agreed with Lu that celebrities here are generally well behaved. “Most of the stories about how celebrities can be quite hard to handle are not true,” she said. “Usually all they ask for is a table and some privacy.”

Tracy Philips, the marketing manager of Zouk — which has played host to the likes of David Beckham and Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann — added that it’s often “the not-so-big stars that ask for more”.

“We try to assist them the best we can,” said Philips, who is in her 20s. “And our PR personnel and supervisors are always on the lookout to make sure that people don’t drink too much. We don’t really have the wild nights of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears here in Singapore, so drinking’s not much of a problem.”

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Christopher Lee Gets 4 weeks In Jailed And S$4,500 Fine for Drink-driving

MediaCorp actor Christopher Lee has been sentenced to four weeks in jail on charges relating to drink driving.

He has also been fined S$4,500 and is disqualified from driving for three years.

Lee arrived in court Thursday morning, accompanied by his lawyer and manager.

His offences include causing injury to a motorcyclist and his pillion rider, in a hit-and-run accident.

In passing his sentence, the judge said Lee knew he had caused an accident and could not be excused from failing to stop and check.

Breathalyser tests showed Lee's body contained twice the legal alcohol limit.

Lee had given over S$70,000 in compensation to the victims for their injuries, which the judge noted as "evidence of his remorse".

The Judge said given the recent spate of drink driving accidents, a message must be sent to the public that "such risks are not acceptable and will continue to be sternly treated".

Lee will be appealing against the jail term, and is currently out on S$20,000 bail.

When contacted, MediaCorp Studios said it is inappropriate to comment at this time as Lee is appealing against the sentence.

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Paris Hilton - Why I Accept My Fate!

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton is speaking out after being sentenced to 45 days in the slammer for violating the terms of her probation in an alcohol-related reckless-driving case.

It looks like she has finally come to terms with her fate, realizing she has no choice but to face the consequences of her actions and surrender to her future cellmate's bitch wishes. The doomed socialite was ordered by lawyers decided on her own accord to issue a statement, in which she accepts her 45-day jail sentence for driving with a suspended license.

"After reading the media's coverage of my court hearing, I feel the need to correct what I believe are misperceptions about me," Hilton's statement says. "I absolutely realize how serious driving under the influence is. I could not live with myself if anyone was injured or killed while I was driving while impaired. Clearly, no one should no matter how slightly. I am ready to face the consequences of violating probation.

"No one is above the law. I surely am not," the suspiciously articulate statement adds. "I do not expect to be treated better than anyone else who violated probation. However, my hope is that I will not be treated worse."

Sorry, Paris, but we'll be shocked if you survive 45 days unscathed among shiv-wielding inmates who are itching to turn you into a human piata.

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Chinese Pigs - Under Viral Attack

As a mysterious epidemic kill pigs in south-eastern China, Chinese officials are only providing little information about the disease or a contaminated wheat gluten that has been known to cause death and illness in the animals. Thus reviving longstanding questions about whether China is willing to share information about health and food safety issues with potentially global implications.

The virus was probably linked to a reproductive and respiratory condition known as blue-eared pig disease, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"This disease spreads especially fast during the summer," the ministry said, citing the hot and humid weather of the season.

The agriculture ministry requires veterinary departments to stay on high alert for the disease and immediately report suspect cases.

"Once the virus mutates, it will become more pathogenic and more difficult to cure," the ministry warned.

A major problem are the poor breeding conditions as most farmers tend to raise their pigs in open places, and pens are poorly equipped with anti-epidemic measures, the ministry said.

The frequent transportation of live pigs might also facilitate the spread of the disease, it said.

More than 300 pigs in Guangdong province died late April as a result of a secondary bacterial infection by the virus, the China Daily reported earlier.

The virus entered China from overseas in the mid-1990s and had recently showed signs of mutation, the report said.

Experts say it cannot spread from animals to people.

Tests for the disease are available and a vaccine has received government approval and is to be distributed soon, the statement said.

The agriculture ministry has already urged increased vaccinations for swine fever, pig rash and swine pneumonia and called on animal medical factories to step up production of medicines.

Dead pigs have been buried deep underground and far from sources of water.

The China Daily said the provincial agriculture authority has called for strict measures to ensure sterilisation, vaccination and supervision to avert further outbreaks.

The disease caused a panic in local areas as residents stopped buying pork for fear of eating tainted meat.

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