15 days’ jail for man who flipped tables at Geylang coffee shop, then shouted at motorists and lay on road

• Tan Hock Soon grew impatient waiting for his friend to finish chatting with another customer
• He verbally abused the customer then kicked and flipped tables, before taking off his shirt and lying on the road
• He was fined S$4,300 but will serve 15 days’ jail as he could not pay the fine

SINGAPORE — After an evening of drinks with his buddies, Tan Hock Soon was about to leave a coffee shop in Geylang when his friend stopped to chat with another customer.

Tan became impatient and insulted the customer but was asked to leave the premises by the coffee-shop owner.

In his unhappiness, he kicked and flipped several tables and chairs, removed his shirt, then laid down on the road, holding up traffic.

He was taken to the hospital after sustaining some injuries, but upon being discharged, he returned to the coffee shop that same night and began trashing the tables and chairs.

Tan, 63, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Jan 5) to one count each of being a public nuisance and committing a rash act endangering the safety of others. Another count of public nuisance was considered for sentencing.

He was fined S$4,300 but will serve 15 days’ jail as he was unable to pay the fine.

The court heard that Tan committed the acts at about 10pm on March 31 last year after a four-hour drinking session with two friends. The trio had shared five to six bottles of beer at Fu Xing Ji Coffeeshop near Lorong 16 Geylang.

As they got up to leave, one of his friends stopped to chat with another customer Loh Song Fatt, while Tan waited outside the coffee shop.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Joseph Gwee said: “After a while, (Tan) grew impatient, approached Loh’s table and uttered vulgarities to Loh in Hokkien. Loh ignored (Tan).”

Tan and Mr Loh were both regular customers at the coffee shop, DPP Gwee added.

The coffee shop's owner, Ms Shen Shuxia, approached Tan and asked him to leave Mr Loh alone and to leave the premises.

When Tan began kicking and flipping chairs and tables around him, some customers left without paying.

Tan tried to hit Ms Shen when she asked him to stop. Her husband Fu Yuguo managed to grab Tan’s hands and Tan then fell.

After he got up, he removed his shirt and began pacing across Geylang Road, shouting at passing motorists and arguing with onlookers.

He then lay down on the road, arms and legs outstretched, causing a traffic congestion as vehicles on the four-lane road had to stop and change lanes to avoid hitting him.

The police and an ambulance were called and Tan was taken to the Singapore General Hospital to treat injuries that he suffered over the course of the night’s events.

Court documents did not state what the injuries were.

After he was discharged, at about 11.30pm, he returned to the same coffee shop and again kicked and flipped the tables and chairs.

Mr Loh, the fellow customer, called the police.

Appearing in court on Tuesday, Tan, who was not represented by a lawyer, pleaded for leniency from the judge.

District Judge Soh Tze Bian replied: “From the video that I have seen, you have done a very rash act.”

Noting that motorists had to take evasive action to avoid Tan, the judge added: “Make sure you don’t commit such offences again, at your age of 63.”

For committing a public nuisance, Tan could have been fined up to S$2,000. For committing a rash act, he could have been jailed up to six months or fined up to S$2,500, or both.