Man gets 10 months' jail after turning himself in following drunken brawl on bus

SINGAPORE — Tan Kuo Chieh tried to prevent a drunk man from continuing his argument with another passenger on National Day last year but ended up in a fight himself.   

After exchanging words with the drunk man, he punched the victim several times in the head and also kneed the man's face.

Tan left before the police arrived at the scene, but turned himself in at the Police Cantonment Complex about 650m away.

On Thursday (March 14), the 49-year-old pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt and was sentenced to 10 months' jail.

WHAT HAPPENED

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jotham Tay told the court that on Aug 9 last year at about 12.50am, Tang Ru Ji boarded SBS Transit bus service number 63 along Geylang Road.

While on the bus, Mr Tang, who was in his 30s and intoxicated, got into a verbal dispute with another passenger.

As the bus pulled into a bus stop along New Bridge Road, Mr Tang told the driver to stop the vehicle.

As the other passenger alighted the bus, Mr Tang continued yelling at him from the bus while standing near the front door.

At that time, Tan, who was also drunk, was at the bus stop.

Mr Tang tried to get off the bus to continue confronting the passenger, but Tan blocked his way and the two then got into an argument.

Closed-circuit television camera footage taken in the bus showed Mr Tang sitting on the reserved seats in the bus, while Tan is seen shouting and gesturing wildly near the front door.

Mr Tang then stands up and Tan approaches him.

"The bus driver got between the two, tried to calm them down and ushered the accused away once more," DPP Tay said.

A short while later, Mr Tang shouted at Tan.

Tan then started punching Mr Tang in the face and Mr Tang was forced back to his seat. 

While Mr Tang was slumped over in the seat, Tan kneed and punched him in the face.  

During the assault — which lasted more than 20 seconds — the bus driver called the police.

When the police arrived, Tan had already left the scene. Court documents did not state what time the police arrived.

DPP Tay said that Tan walked to the Police Cantonment Complex — about 650m away — and told the police that he had assaulted someone before surrendering himself.

As a result of the assault, Mr Tang suffered bruises and a broken nose. He was given 10 days of medical leave.

VIOLENT REACTION NOT JUSTIFIED

DPP Tay called for a sentence of 10 to 12 months' jail, noting that this was a one-sided attack because Mr Tang did not retaliate.

"Even when (Mr Tang) was slumped over, the accused continued assaulting him on his face, which was a vulnerable part of the body," he added.

Tan's lawyer, Mr Teo Choo Kee from law firm CK Teo & Co, told the court that Tan had, to his credit, immediately left the bus to surrender himself because he realised that what he did was wrong.

The lawyer added that Tan had been provoked by Mr Tang, who had used offensive words on Tan.

Mr Teo asked for a sentence of eight to nine months' jail.

District Judge Lim Tse Haw said that although Mr Tang had provoked Tan, this "does not justify the violent reaction from the accused".

However, he acknowledged that Tan had surrendered himself the same night, had no violence-related crimes previously and had pleaded guilty early.

For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, Tan could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined or received caning.