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Singapore

Man jailed for using racial insults on librarian, polyclinic workers

Man jailed for using racial insults on librarian, polyclinic workers

Peethambaran Dilip at the State Courts in April 2022. (Photo: TODAY/Aaron Low)

SINGAPORE: A 69-year-old man was sentenced to six weeks' jail on Wednesday (May 11) for using racial insults on a librarian and polyclinic workers on three occasions.

Peethambaran Dilip pleaded guilty to one count of uttering words with deliberate intent to wound racial feelings, and two counts of using insulting words on public service workers.

Three more charges were also considered for sentencing.

The court heard that the first incident happened when Dilip went to Clementi Public Library on Jun 9 last year. 

Closed-circuit television footage captured him lowering his mask, opening up a dustbin and spitting into it. A cleaner saw this and reported it to the library's management.

Before Dilip left, a library officer approached him and advised him not to spit into the dustbin as it was unhygienic, especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The library officer was aware that Dilip had previously done the same thing, according to court documents.

Dilip became unhappy and uttered remarks containing racial slurs towards the person. 

The two other incidents involved workers at Marine Parade Polyclinic, where Dilip was known to staff as he had scolded workers there on previous occasions.

On Jul 22 last year, Dilip went to the polyclinic to replenish his medication. He walked into a health monitoring station that was manned by a patient service associate.

Dilip threw his queue ticket on the counter and uttered insults.  

The patient service associate told Dilip to stop, but he did not. She informed the security guards who were on duty of this incident.

On Oct 15 last year, Dilip again went to the polyclinic and approached a pharmacist at the pharmacy counter.

The pharmacist asked Dilip if he was collecting his medication, to which he initially did not respond.

When the pharmacist repeated the question, Dilip said: "Of course, I am here to collect my medication. If not, why am I here for?" before hurling racial abuse. 

Dilip was liable for enhanced punishment for the two offences in the polyclinic due to a prior conviction under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Orderand Nuisance) Act.

The prosecution asked for at least six weeks' jail, noting that Dilip had violence-related antecedents.

In 2017, Dilip was convicted and jailed six weeks for punching and slapping a bus driver.

"It is clear that the accused has a proclivity to treat service workers abusively. He escalated his abuse in the present case to incorporate racist insults," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Zhi Hao.

"This should be dealt with sternly, given the need to preserve racial harmony in Singapore."

He also noted that Dilip committed two of the offences against frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were strong considerations to deter such conduct.

The punishment for uttering words with deliberate intent to wound racial feelings is up to three years' jail, a fine or both.

Those convicted of using insulting words on public service workers can be jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$5,000 or both.

Source: CNA/dv(rw)

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