Contractor jailed for wooden rod assault on Cisco officer over illegal parking dispute
Published on Feb 27, 2015 1:07 PM
Ong Chuan Soon (pictured) swung a wooden rod at 30-year-old Victor Kumaran for taking photographs of him following a heated argument. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
By Ian Poh
SINGAPORE - A landscaping contractor who assaulted a Certis Cisco officer with a wooden rod over an illegal parking dispute was sentenced to four months in jail on Friday.
Ong Chuan Soon, 47, swung the rod at 30-year-old Victor Kumaran for taking photographs of him following a heated argument. Mr Kumaran had earlier issued summons for a car and lorry parked on a double yellow line despite the protestations of Ong's friend. The car belonged to Ong's friend, while the lorry belonged to the friend's company.
Ong pleaded guilty to hurting Mr Kumaran, who was left with contusions on his left elbow and fingers and placed on two days of medical leave.
The court heard that Mr Kumaran spotted the vehicles parked illegally along Banda Street near Chinatown around 11.45am on Jan 21 last year, when he was carrying out parking enforcement duties.
He issued summons against them five hours later, after returning and finding they were still in the same positions despite his warnings.
Unhappy with Mr Kumaran for proceeding despite his friend's attempts to explain there was nowhere else to park, Ong swore at the officer and threatened him with an iron pole.
The two men quarrelled for a while before Ong dropped the pole and sat inside a nearby tentage. This was when Mr Kumaran began to take pictures of Ong.
Ong could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined and caned.
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