Man accused of punching Holy Spirit Church priest faces 21 charges, including assaults on 11 others

SINGAPORE: A man who allegedly punched a priest at the Church of the Holy Spirit in February was slapped with 21 charges on Aug 18, including voluntarily hurting or using criminal force on 11 other people in separate cases.

Huang Guang Zheng, a Singaporean, was charged with voluntarily causing hurt by hitting Father Cary Chan on his face on Feb 9. Father Chan then told CNA that Huang, a regular churchgoer, has special needs and is partially blind.

Huang was handed two other charges relating to incidents at the same Upper Thomson Road church on Feb 9 - one of mischief for allegedly slamming a wooden door at the church against a wall six times, causing damage, and another of public nuisance for allegedly behaving in an aggressive manner and toppling a potted plant. 

The 22-year-old is separately accused of assaulting three people at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jurong East in August 2024. He has also been charged with mischief for allegedly slamming a glass door at the same church, shattering it, as well as causing annoyance to other attendees by shouting loudly during church service.

Huang also allegedly hurt or assaulted eight other people in public spaces, including at MRT stations and hawker centres. According to charge sheets, the purported offences were committed between April 2024 and July 2025.

He has been charged in connection with two incidents in January. In one of the charges, he allegedly charged at a man, causing him to fall backwards at the Maxwell MRT station platform. He is also accused of using guiding sticks to hit a woman on her head and shoulders at the same station.

On another occasion in January, Huang allegedly slammed his body forcefully into a woman at Redhill MRT station, causing her to fall. Another charge relates to a July incident, where he is accused of spitting on a man at Harbourfront MRT station.

His other alleged offences include punching a person twice at Maxwell Food Centre, and spitting on the cashier counter and toppling a stack of 19 coffee cups at Kopitiam Square in Sengkang.

The charge of causing annoyance to the public carries a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.

The charge of committing mischief carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.

Those guilty of voluntarily causing hurt can face up to three years' jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.

If convicted of assault or the use of criminal force on another person, one can face up to three months' jail, a fine of up to S$1,500 or both.

Huang pleaded not guilty on Aug 18, with his defence lawyer asking to make representations about his mental capacity. His next court hearing will be on Sep 29.