- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Messages
- 6,487
- Points
- 113
JAILED
04 March 2014
A kitchen helper got angry with a taxi driver for allegedly overcharging him and ended up punching the driver in the face in an incident last May.
On Monday morning, the helper, who stopped working in January this year, was sentenced to six weeks' jail for the attack. Koh Tong Guan, 48, admitted to punching Mr Lee Lin, 41, at the carpark of Block 885A Tampines Street 83 on May 1 last year. The court heard that Koh had been drinking after finishing work on April 30, reports The Straits Times.
At about 3.15am, he and his friend flagged down the victim's taxi along Eu Tong Sen Street in Chinatown. His friend alighted at Serangoon Avenue 2, and along the way to Tampines, Koh fell asleep.
When they arrived in Tampines, the cabby asked for the $24.25 fare but Koh gave only $24 and asked for change as he felt that the victim had taken a longer route.
As a result of the dispute, Koh punched Mr Lee on the face in the taxi. Both got out and when Mr Lee tried to take a video of Koh with his mobile phone, Koh threw a flurry of punches at the victim. The victim managed to dodge most of the punches but one landed on his face. Koh also slapped the victim on the back.
Koh threatened Mr Lee by saying that his taxi's licence plate was easy to remember and that he would smash it the next time he saw it on the road.
Mr Lee, who later called the police, had a sore jaw and scratches on the forearm.
Koh, who was allowed to defer sentence for a week, could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 for causing hurt.
FINE ONLY, NO JAILED
8 Nov 2013
A British banking director, Mason Robert Alford, was fined $4,000 and ordered to pay $1,000 compensation by the court today (8 Nov) for assaulting a taxi driver two years ago.
The foreign expatriate, who is the the regional head of Asia-Pacific for credit analysis, admitted to punching Mr Tan Chin Huat, 58, in the face along the ECP expressway on 14 Dec, 2011.
Mr Tan picked up the Briton near Lau Pa Sat hawker centre at about 1am in that early morning. Reeking of alcohol, he told the cabby to go to Eastwood condominium in Bedok.
On the ECP expressway, he suddenly began shouting and kicking the cabby’s seat. Mr Tan then told him to calm down. A while later, he began shouting again, pressing down on Mr Tan’s shoulder forcefully and punching the cabby on his left cheek.
The cabby kept telling the Briton to calm down, and decided to drive him to a police station.
At the junction of Marine Parade Road and Still Road, the cabby was forced to get out as the foreign banker continued to hit him. Mr Tan eventually managed to calm him down and drove him to a police station.
In mitigation, the foreign banker’s lawyers said that their client was suffering from “depressive disorder”. Panic and anxiety attacks are symptomatic of the condition and the banker’s intoxication worsened the disorder, his lawyers said.
In his grounds for decision, District Judge Soh Tze Bian pointed out that an Institute of Mental Health report stated that the banker’s disorder was a “significant contributory factor in impairing his judgement”. The judge also noted that his “self-induced intoxication” is to be regarded as an aggravating factor.
Still, Judge Soh said the likelihood of the foreigner’s re-offending is low, and so a deterrent sentence is not warranted.
He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000.
However, the order from the judge did not go well with some of the online netizens. Many felt that the penalties imposed on the foreign banker were too lenient.
04 March 2014
A kitchen helper got angry with a taxi driver for allegedly overcharging him and ended up punching the driver in the face in an incident last May.
On Monday morning, the helper, who stopped working in January this year, was sentenced to six weeks' jail for the attack. Koh Tong Guan, 48, admitted to punching Mr Lee Lin, 41, at the carpark of Block 885A Tampines Street 83 on May 1 last year. The court heard that Koh had been drinking after finishing work on April 30, reports The Straits Times.
At about 3.15am, he and his friend flagged down the victim's taxi along Eu Tong Sen Street in Chinatown. His friend alighted at Serangoon Avenue 2, and along the way to Tampines, Koh fell asleep.
When they arrived in Tampines, the cabby asked for the $24.25 fare but Koh gave only $24 and asked for change as he felt that the victim had taken a longer route.
As a result of the dispute, Koh punched Mr Lee on the face in the taxi. Both got out and when Mr Lee tried to take a video of Koh with his mobile phone, Koh threw a flurry of punches at the victim. The victim managed to dodge most of the punches but one landed on his face. Koh also slapped the victim on the back.
Koh threatened Mr Lee by saying that his taxi's licence plate was easy to remember and that he would smash it the next time he saw it on the road.
Mr Lee, who later called the police, had a sore jaw and scratches on the forearm.
Koh, who was allowed to defer sentence for a week, could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 for causing hurt.
FINE ONLY, NO JAILED
8 Nov 2013
A British banking director, Mason Robert Alford, was fined $4,000 and ordered to pay $1,000 compensation by the court today (8 Nov) for assaulting a taxi driver two years ago.
The foreign expatriate, who is the the regional head of Asia-Pacific for credit analysis, admitted to punching Mr Tan Chin Huat, 58, in the face along the ECP expressway on 14 Dec, 2011.
Mr Tan picked up the Briton near Lau Pa Sat hawker centre at about 1am in that early morning. Reeking of alcohol, he told the cabby to go to Eastwood condominium in Bedok.
On the ECP expressway, he suddenly began shouting and kicking the cabby’s seat. Mr Tan then told him to calm down. A while later, he began shouting again, pressing down on Mr Tan’s shoulder forcefully and punching the cabby on his left cheek.
The cabby kept telling the Briton to calm down, and decided to drive him to a police station.
At the junction of Marine Parade Road and Still Road, the cabby was forced to get out as the foreign banker continued to hit him. Mr Tan eventually managed to calm him down and drove him to a police station.
In mitigation, the foreign banker’s lawyers said that their client was suffering from “depressive disorder”. Panic and anxiety attacks are symptomatic of the condition and the banker’s intoxication worsened the disorder, his lawyers said.
In his grounds for decision, District Judge Soh Tze Bian pointed out that an Institute of Mental Health report stated that the banker’s disorder was a “significant contributory factor in impairing his judgement”. The judge also noted that his “self-induced intoxication” is to be regarded as an aggravating factor.
Still, Judge Soh said the likelihood of the foreigner’s re-offending is low, and so a deterrent sentence is not warranted.
He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000.
However, the order from the judge did not go well with some of the online netizens. Many felt that the penalties imposed on the foreign banker were too lenient.
