Angry in the Great White North

Remember Cliff Tang? He's the serial scofflaw under a long term driving suspension resulting from the killing of pedestrian Jerry Kithithee while Tang was involved in a street race. Repeatedly after that tragedy, Tang has been picked up by police while driving under the suspension.

The most recent happened this month. Cliff Tang was driving a Lamborghini.

The car lacked a license plate and Tang was stopped by a police officer. He gave a false name, perhaps thinking that if he omitted his notorious history of driving without a license and of street racing, he might be let off with a warning.

He was charged but then the court put a publication ban on the proceedings. Maybe the concern was that with the media attention driven by Tang's history, a defense could be mounted that a fair trial was not possible.

It doesn't matter now, since Cliff Tang has taken a plea bargain:

Notorious street racer Cliff Tang will be back on the streets in three months after pleading guilty to driving without a licence and giving a false name when caught.

On Thursday, Mr. Tang entered an early guilty plea in Richmond Provincial Court and Mr. Justice Dennis Schmidt proceeded to sentencing without a trial, said Mr. Tang's lawyer, Jeff Campbell.

Mr. Tang was sentenced to four months in jail for driving while disqualified and two months for obstructing a peace officer.

However, the judge gave two-for-one credit for the 1½months he had already served after being denied bail, so Mr. Tang will spend three more months in jail, Mr. Campbell said.

It could have been worse for Cliff Tang:

Judge Schmidt also handed down a three-year driving prohibition, which starts immediately, to be served concurrently, overlapping with Mr. Tang's previous driving ban. Crown counsel had pushed for a 10-year prohibition, Mr. Campbell said.

Any bets on how quickly Cliff Tang finds himself behind the wheel of a fast sports car after he is released in three months?

Photo by Glenn Baglo, Vancouver Sun

Note this is not recent news, since the proceedings concluded mid-September. But I had only just thought about checking in on Cliff Tang, not sure there would be any news given the publication ban.

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