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S'porean man, 56, punches man who did not cover his mouth when sneezing, gets 7 months' jail
The fight ended after the victim's wife managed to push the defendant off her husband.Chloe Loh
September 26, 2025, 06:58 PM
56-year-old Wang Yao Cai (transliteration), who had punched a man, aged 70, for failing to cover his mouth while sneezing, was sentenced to 7 months' imprisonment on Thursday (Sep. 25).
The incident took place at around 3:30pm in 2024, at Plaza Singapura.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the defendant faces two charges: one of voluntarily causing grievous hurt and one of absconding while on bail.
The victim was 68 at the time of the incident.
Took place in the lift of Plaza Singapura
Citing court documents, Shin Min reported that the victim and his wife had gone to the food court on the sixth level of Plaza Singapura for lunch on Apr. 3 2024.After finishing their meal, they took the lift down, and the defendant and his wife entered the same lift on the third floor.
After the lift door closed, the victim sneezed without covering his mouth, which upset the defendant, who felt that the victim was being inconsiderate.
The defendant pointed at the victim and yelled, prompting the victim to shout back and point his fingers at him.
Punched the victim
According to Shin Min, the defendant slapped the victim's fingers away with his hands, and a physical altercation between the two ensued.The defendant punched the victim's cheek and the back of his head, and then pressed the victim's head down while continuing to hit him.
The victim later followed the defendant out of the lift and threw a mobile phone at him, hitting him on the back of his head.
This infuriated the defendant. When the victim accidentally fell, he quickly seized the opportunity, kneeling on the victim's back and pressing his head onto the ground.
The fight ended after the victim's wife managed to push the defendant off her husband.
The victim was later treated at Singapore General Hospital for a zygomatic arch fracture in his right cheek and was on sick leave for a week.
The defendant jumped bail
Shin Min reported that the defendant was arrested on the same day but was later released on bail.He subsequently jumped bail and absconded on Apr. 10 2024, intending to start a new life abroad.
However, he was arrested about 15 months later upon his return to Singapore on Jul. 16, and was charged in court two days later (Jul. 18).
Court documents did not specify which country he had fled to or why he returned to Singapore.
In court, the defendant also revealed that he was involved in a previous assault case 32 years ago.
Top photos via Canva, Mothership
