Man assaults two cabbies and a shopper, while out on bail for punching a lorry driver

SINGAPORE — He punched a lorry driver who he thought was driving too slowly.

Then after he was arrested and released on bail, he beat up another two taxi drivers in two separate road-rage incidents, and also assaulted a stranger at a mall — all in a span of two-and-a-half years.

On Monday (July 29), Muhammad Fuad Kamroden, 35, pleaded guilty to four charges of using criminal force and causing hurt to the four victims.

District Judge Brenda Tan adjourned sentencing to Sept 4 in order to consider the prosecution and defence’s arguments, and for Fuad to make compensation of about S$2,400 in total to his victims. He remains out on bail.

OVERTOOK 'SLOW' LORRY DRIVER

The first incident occurred at about 8.30pm on Aug 12, 2016.

Fuad, working as a contractor then, was driving behind Mr Pek Lian Hui, 52, in a car park at the National University of Singapore.

He felt that Mr Pek, who was looking for a vacant lot in the car park, was driving too slowly and blocking the road. Fuad then overtook the lorry and flashed his middle finger at Mr Pek as he passed.

When Fuad stopped his car in front of the lorry, Mr Pek got out of his vehicle and knocked on the younger man’s window.

Things quickly escalated as Fuad punched the lorry driver several times before driving off.

Mr Pek called the police and was taken to the National University Hospital. He suffered several facial fractures and superficial cuts on the face, and stayed in the hospital for six days.

Fuad was later arrested and released on bail.

SHOUTED VULGARITIES

He stayed crime-free for more than a year, but got involved in another road rage incident on Dec 2, 2017 when he was working as a Grab driver.

At about 2.40am that day, Mr Mohamed Iqbal Mohamed Shariff, a taxi driver, was waiting to pick a passenger up at the taxi stand at Liang Court shopping mall in Clarke Quay.

A road marshal asked him to move to the pick-up point for private cars, but Fuad came from behind in his Grab car and side-swiped Mr Iqbal’s side mirror.

Fuad lowered his front passenger window and shouted vulgarities at Mr Iqbal, then drove forward and cut into the other man’s lane.

They alighted and approached the road marshal, who said that Mr Iqbal had stopped his car at the right place. Fuad pointed his middle finger at Mr Iqbal and pushed his left cheek, before walking off and driving away.

ANGRY OVER ACCIDENTAL CONTACT

About half a year later, while still out on bail, Fuad was walking along a corridor in VivoCity mall when Mr Ye Zhaojin’s right shoulder accidentally bumped into his.

Fuad got angry and shouted at Mr Ye, bumping his chest against the other man’s and pushing him.

An off-duty police officer tried to intervene, but Fuad told him that it was none of his business.

Some VivoCity security officers arrived and took Fuad into custody.

CUTTING INTO DRIVER'S PATH

Then on Feb 26 this year, Fuad assaulted an elderly taxi driver while riding his motorcycle along Selegie Road towards Bukit Timah Road.

Mr Tio Seng Sing, 71, was inching his taxi forward just before the traffic light turned green when Fuad suddenly cut in. The cabbie slammed on his brakes and sounded his horn at Fuad, who flipped his middle finger before riding off.

At the next junction, Mr Tio got out from his taxi and held onto Fuad’s motorcycle. Fuad then punched the cabbie in the face until he fell.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Bjorn Tan sought at least 18 months and six weeks’ jail for Fuad, noting the severity of harm done to Mr Pek and that he had re-offended while out on bail.

Fuad’s lawyer, Mr Robert Leslie Gregory, asked for about nine months’ imprisonment instead. He told the court that Fuad started going for anger management therapy after the incident at VivoCity and “pro-actively quit” being a private-hire driver.

“Please give him one last chance… he has taken steps to remove himself from the framework where these crimes happen,” the lawyer added.

For each charge of causing hurt, he could be jailed up to two years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.

For the charge relating to the use of criminal force, he could be jailed up to three months, fined up to S$1,500, or both.