Man jailed for assaulting police officer, taxi driver
TODAY file photo.
SINGAPORE — Arrested and charged with slapping a police officer, a deliveryman did not learn his lesson. A few months later, while out on bail, he punched a taxi driver. He was also found to have pocketed money from customers instead of returning them to his employer.
For assaulting a police officer, voluntarily causing hurt to the taxi driver and committing a breach of trust, Chia Kun Liang, 27, was sentenced by the district court on Friday (Nov 3) to be jailed five months and three weeks.
The court heard that around midnight on Dec 11, 2015, Corporal Toh Wee Keat and another police officer went to Block 304 Yishun Central. They had received a complaint that Chia was causing nuisance in the area by knocking on other people’s cars.
Chia was taken to Yishun North Neighbourhood Police Centre, where he kept shouting at the officers despite verbal warnings. In an interview room later, Chia slapped Corporal Toh on his right cheek, causing him to sustain a minor contusion, a medical report from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital stated.
A blood sample taken from Chia showed that there was 146mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, which was above the legal limit of 80mg.
Charged later with assaulting a police office, Chia was released on bail.
Then on April 29, 2016, a drunk Chia beat up a taxi driver. He had boarded the cab near VivoCity mall and was heading to Geylang. When the taxi stopped at a traffic light at the junction of Stadium Boulevard and Mountbatten Road, Chia tried to get out of the cab without paying.
The driver managed to stop Chia, but he refused to pay and hurled vulgarities at the driver. Both men then went to a McDonalds’ outlet at Stadium Boulevard, where Chia punched the taxi driver five times on face and slapped him.
A passer-by intervened and Chia was later arrested by the police. A medical report by a doctor from Healthway Medical Group stated that the taxi driver had sustained a small cut over his left eyebrow and swelling on his lips.
Recently, on Aug 29 this year, another police report was lodged against Chia by a senior manager of FoodPanda.
Working as a freelance deliveryman for the food delivery service provider at its branch located at 50 Tagore Lane, Chia had pocketed a total of S$407.80 in delivery fees from customers.
He was supposed to return the fees to FoodPanda on July 24, but did not do so. His salary of S$238, for his work from 18 to 24 July, was then forfeited.
When he did not pay the remaining amount owed, the senior manager filed a police complaint about him. Chia has since made full restitution.
