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SINGAPORE: A journalist who got into an argument with a cabby and punched him was fined S$1,000 on Tuesday.
The district court heard that Andrew Bevan Jones, 35, a financial journalist working at Dow Jones, had taken Mr Irwan Shah Saharim's taxi home after drinks at a pub in October last year.
When they arrived at East Point Green Condominium in Simei, Jones handed the cabby a S$50 note for his S$25 fare. But the cabby said that he had no change.
When Mr Irwan, 33, did not agree to drive to a 7-Eleven store to get change, Jones tried to leave. But the cabby stopped him from doing so. That was when Jones punched Mr Irwan in the nose, leaving him with a fractured nasal bridge. A shouting match ensued as Mr Irwan tried to claim money from Jones to see a doctor.
Shortly after, the security guards at the condo arrived to defuse the situation. Jones then gave the cabby S$50 and left.
As Jones waited for the lift to return home, Mr Irwan shouted at him to "better watch your back. I know where you live". Jones immediately confronted the cabby and the pair began shoving each other again. Mr Irwan fell in the process.
Jones' lawyer, Mr P E Ashokan told the court Mr Irwan had refused his client's offer to pay with his credit card or get change from his home. The lawyer added that it was surprising that the taxi driver did not have change even though he was several hours into his night shift.
Jones, who has been working in Singapore since October 2006, had never fallen afoul of the law before.
District Judge F G Remedios agreed and said that a jail term would not be appropriate.
For voluntarily causing hurt, Jones could have faced a jail term of up to two years, a maximum fine of S$5,000, or both.
- TODAY/so
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