A drunken tourist’s relentless verbal assault on a policeman which included threats such as “I’ll f***ing kill you” and “wait till I slap you in the face”, and a reminder that he was a British citizen, has landed him in jail for a week.
The man, 24, who was on his fifth day of a visit here, lashed out verbally while he was being escorted back to the police station after being arrested shortly after midnight on Oct 3 for causing a public nuisance at Clarke Quay.
On Wednesday (Nov 6), he pleaded guilty to one charge of conducting himself in a manner to cause annoyance while drunk, and two charges of using abusive language on a police officer.
After having several alcoholic drinks close to midnight, he removed his shirt and raised a wooden chair, swinging it around before throwing it on the floor. He then aggressively confronted patrons of the club. When two security executives tried to stop him, he reached for a bin cover but was pinned down first.
The man was fined S$800 in relation to the charge of causing annoyance while drunk. The one-week jail term related to his abusive language towards a police officer.
While being escorted to Tanglin Police Division in a police car, he was seated in the rear passenger seat when he cursed at the policeman beside him despite receiving several warnings not to.
In the car, over seven minutes, he made statements including “You’re a rabid dog.”, “I’m a f***ing British citizen, you boys are going to get f***ed over if you didn’t f***ing listen to me right now…” and “If I can get my hands free, you’re f***ing dead right now. You f***ing little wet one.”
He also offered to pay the police officer to be released but backed down after his second warning that it would be an offence. When they arrived at the police division at about 12.35am, he turned “more aggressive and uncooperative”, and started using abusive and vulgar words again, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Shen Wanqin noted. Among his statements to police include,
“I’m going to get my lawyer and sue your f***ing a**. They are going to f***ing put you in prison. If you don’t let me out, they are going to put you in prison… If you don’t let me out, you are all going to prison.”
All of his acts were captured on camera, and the video footage was played before the judge on Wednesday. They amounted to contraventions under the Protection from Harassment Act, that could have landed a jail term for up to 12 months on top of a fine of up to S$5,000.
Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu, acting for the defendant, stressed that his client had co-operated with the police after he sobered up and came to be “utterly remorseful” of what he had done, noting that his actions are “out of character”. Mr Amarjit Singh urged the court to consider that his client had not broken the law before, as well as his involvement in charity work that helps young individuals from troubled backgrounds.
The lawyer added that his client was raised by a single mother, who works as a doctor in the United Kingdom. Pointing out that his client had stayed in Singapore for more than a month now pending the court proceedings, Mr Singh said: “He is at your mercy, Your Honour. I hope you can exercise mercy and impose a fine on him.” He sought a S$2,500 fine.
DPP Shen, however, argued that there was a pressing need for deterrence in this case since a public officer was involved.
District Judge Salina Ishak then imposed the one-week jail term that the prosecution had asked
Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu of Amarjit Sidhu Law Practice has represented numerous clients in a wide variety of matters over the years from traffic offences, family disputes to high-profile criminal cases. With a vast knowledge of Singapore’s laws and a wealth of experience, Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu will be able to provide valuable and timely advice for your situation. For more information, feel free to contact us for a consultation.
