Drunk trader jailed a week for slapping paramedic and taxi driver, insulting police officer
Jacelyn Fong was highly intoxicated and behaved badly on her way home, landing herself in jail.
SINGAPORE — A 35-year-old trader was sentenced to one week's jail on Friday (Aug 2), after pleading guilty to slapping a paramedic and insulting a police officer when she had too much to drink.
Jacelyn Fong had been drinking with her friends at Concorde Hotel on Orchard Road on Oct 5 last year.
When she took a taxi around midnight and told the driver to take her to Namly Avenue, located around Bukit Timah Road, she shouted out some vulgarities and slapped him after he tried to clarify her exact address.
She admitted to one count of causing hurt and another count of using abusive words towards a public servant. Three other similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
She was sentenced to a week’s imprisonment for each charge, and the sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
The court heard that on the day of the incident, SMRT Taxi driver Teo Kiok Seng, 58, drove Fong to Namly Avenue. He had noticed that she was intoxicated.
When she assaulted Mr Teo, he activated the distress signal button in his taxi and stepped out. The company then called 999.
Mr Nurafiq Azmi and his fellow paramedics from Lentor Ambulance arrived at about 12.30am and asked Fong to step out of the taxi to check on her condition.
However, she walked away in an unsteady fashion. They tried to prevent her from falling forward by walking with her.
She reached out and held Mr Nurafiq by his shoulders, before releasing her grip and slapping the 20-year-old once on his cheek.
She then walked away from him while the other paramedics continued attending to her until the police arrived and arrested her.
Upon arriving at the scene with her partner, Sergeant Nurfasihah Syafiqah Abdul Samat, 22, noticed that Fong reeked heavily of alcohol.
Fong refused to comply with the policewoman’s request to provide her particulars and address, and shouted hysterically.
Sergeant Nurfasihah then arrested her for causing hurt to Mr Nurafiq.
On the way to Tanglin Police Division in a patrol car, Fong continued shouting and was repeatedly warned to keep her volume down. Unhappy with that, she insulted Sergeant Nurfasihah with a vulgar word and did so again at the police station.
In mitigation, Fong’s lawyer, Mr Kalaithasan Karuppaya, said that she was “not a violent person” and had been “keeping clean” after the incident.
“This entire set of offences arose from the accused having a little too much to drink with her friends… She is remorseful and has apologised to the police officers involved.
“She attempted to contact the taxi driver but couldn’t reach him. She has paid the taxi fare,” Mr Kalaithasan added.
During sentencing, District Judge Ong Luan Tze took into account the number of charges Fong faced, but noted that she “does appear genuinely remorseful” and that Mr Nurafiq’s injuries were “very minor”.
For causing hurt, Fong could have been jailed up to two years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
For using abusive words towards a public servant, she could have been jailed up to a year, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
CORRECTION NOTE: This article previously said that Fong was sentenced to two weeks' jail. This is incorrect. She was sentenced to a week’s imprisonment for each charge, and the sentences were ordered to run concurrently. We are sorry for the error.
