<Screenshot of Brian's Facebook submitted by reader>
25 year-old Brian Joseph Chow refused to serve his National Service (NS), but instead fled to Australia to pursue his studies. In total, he evaded his NS responsibilities for more than 6 years before returning to Singapore in 2013 after graduating from the University of Western Australia.
After being sentenced to a measly $4,500 fine in his initial sentence, prosecutors successfully appealed for a heavier sentence. He was given an addition 1.5 months jail time for evading NS.
According to court documents, Brian left Singapore to study in an Australian school for sufferers of attention deficit disorder at the age of 15 in 2005. In 2008, he was called up for NS, but received a deferment to pursue further studies. In 2009, he was again called up for his NS, but this time his appeal to defer his NS until after he completed his university education was rejected.
He returned to Singapore in 2013 after graduating from university and completed his NS last year.
In his sentencing, Justice Chan Seng Oon said that he would have given Brian Chow more jail time if not for his "outstanding" performance during his NS.
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