Updated: 04/07/2014 19:12 | By Channel NewsAsia
Man jailed for punching cab driver while drunk
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SINGAPORE: A Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) student has been handed a three-week jail term for punching a taxi driver in his drunken stupor.
24-year-old Tan Jian Liang had boarded the taxi at Boat Quay in mid-January this year, at about 1.40am.
He instructed 65-year-old Seah Teck Kim to drop him off at Choa Chu Kang Crescent and fell asleep.
When Mr Seah got to Choa Chu Kang Crescent, he parked his taxi by the road and tried to wake Tan up to find out which block to drop him off.
But the taxi driver ended up getting chased by Tan around the taxi, pushed to the ground and punched repeatedly.
Another charge of damaging the NETS device in the cab was taken into consideration.
The court heard that Tan compensated the victim S$515 and also paid about S$335 for damaging the NETS device.
In mitigation, Tan, who was unrepresented, told the district judge he truly regretted his actions and pleaded for leniency.
But District Judge Lim Keng Yeow noted the offences were "very serious" although Tan is a first-time offender. - CNA/xq
