Jail for man who challenged one cop to a fight at Yishun, threw a shoe at another and spat at a third

SINGAPORE — For insulting and physically assaulting police officers, even challenging one of them to a fight, a 30-year-old man was sentenced to 20 weeks’ jail on Wednesday (Aug 21).

Naveen Lal Pillay pleaded guilty to six assorted charges, including disorderly behaviour and using criminal force on a public servant. Five other similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

This was not Naveen’s first conviction for such offences. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Koh Mun Keong told the court that he was previously prosecuted in 2016 for disorderly behaviour, and in 2017 for using abusive words on a public servant.

The court heard that Naveen committed his latest offences on the morning of July 1 this year.

At about 9.40am, a taxi driver asked for help at Yishun South Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) because Naveen had fallen asleep in the taxi and would not wake up.

After a group of police officers roused him, he began questioning them with his voice raised. He grew agitated when Station Inspector (SI) Teo Kai Leong tried to calm him down.

Naveen then walked away when the officers advised him to leave. However, he soon returned to the police station and demanded to speak to one of the officers.

Upon hearing the commotion, SI Teo told Naveen not to cause trouble and to go home. But Naveen challenged him to a fight instead, gesturing with his hands and shouting, “You come, ah! You come, ah!” in front of several members of the public and other officers.

He was arrested and escorted to the Woodlands Division Report Lodging Area at 10am.

While the officers began performing their respective administrative procedures for Naveen’s arrest, he began taunting them while his hand was handcuffed to a wall. He also shouted vulgarities at one of them.

Naveen then used his other hand to pick up one of his shoes on the ground, and threw it in the direction of a group of auxiliary police officers. It hit the right side of an officer’s waist.

He was released on bail, but re-offended a week later.

On July 8, at about 2.30pm, after Naveen alighted from a Grab car that he had taken with his girlfriend, he vomited on the vehicle. Because of this, he began arguing with the driver and kicked the car, resulting in some scratch and dent marks. He then left.

When police officers responded to a report about the incident, they found him at the void deck of Block 477 Sembawang Drive.

When SI Wong Teck Cheng began interviewing him, he yelled vulgarities at the officer, even though he was warned not to do so.

He was then arrested and taken to the Woodlands Division Report Lodging Area again, where he sat on a bench close to an auxiliary officer, Mr Chiang Wei Loong.

“The accused then turned around and told Chiang not to think that the accused would not dare to kick him. Shortly after, the accused kicked Chiang’s right leg and the kick landed around the area near Chiang’s right knee,” DPP Koh said.

Naveen also spat at another officer who had ignored him.