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Singapore

Jail for wanted delivery driver who drove lorry into officer at Gurkha camp

Muhammad Hizamudin Sheik Allahuddin was making a delivery to the Gurkha Contingent when officers realised he was a wanted man.

Jail for wanted delivery driver who drove lorry into officer at Gurkha camp

Google Street View screengrab of the main gate of the Gurkha Contingent at Mount Vernon Road in Singapore.

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SINGAPORE: A delivery driver was transporting goods to the Gurkha Contingent when officers there learnt he was a wanted man after scanning his NRIC.

In the process of trying to flee, Muhammad Hizamudin Sheik Allahuddin, 49, reversed his lorry into a police sergeant and crushed his leg.

On Thursday (May 16), he was sentenced to 20 months in jail.

He pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant on duty, damaging a police car and having drug utensils. Five other charges were considered in sentencing.

On Aug 23, 2021, Hizamudin was released from the Drug Rehabilitation Centre, which is a prison institution, and placed on the prison's day release scheme until Jun 25, 2023.

The day release scheme is a community-based programme that allows inmates to work or do skills training outside of prison premises, to guide them towards reintegration.

But towards the end of his programme, on Jun 5, 2023, Hizamudin failed to return to an approved institution and could not be contacted by his reporting officer. A police gazette was issued against him.

While he had absconded, Hizamudin took up a part-time job as a delivery driver. On Jun 22, 2023, he was assigned to deliver goods to the Gurkha Contingent on Vernon Road.

He drove his company's lorry to the compound at about 4pm, handed his NRIC to an officer for screening, and parked beside the guard house.

When officers realised he was a wanted man, a pair of police sergeants was dispatched. Sergeant Desmond Chi Wei Siang and Sergeant Al Faini Sanah Abdul Ghani arrived in a police car at about 4.30pm.

The sergeants approached Hizamudin, who was in the driver's seat, and asked him to switch off his engine and exit the lorry. But he was uncooperative, refusing to do so and giving evasive answers to their questions.

As SGT Faini spoke to Hizamudin, SGT Chi repositioned the police car directly behind his lorry to prevent him from driving away.

Shortly after, Hizamudin suddenly drove the lorry forward, repositioning it so that he would have been able to leave the compound without being blocked by the police car.

SGT Chi ran and reached his hands into the driver-side window, which was open, and asked Hizamudin to stop moving the lorry.

But closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, which was played in court, showed Hizamudin reversing his lorry instead. This caused SGT Chi's legs to become sandwiched between the lorry and the police car, which was parked a short distance away.

Despite continued instructions to stop, Hizamudin reversed the lorry again, causing it to "crush" SGT Chi's right hip between the lorry and police car, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Ang.

SGT Chi was quickly pulled away by two police officers nearby and lay on the ground, shouting in pain.

The lorry's sudden acceleration also caused the passenger side mirror to hit SGT Faini's arm, and she fell to the ground.

As Hizamudin continued moving the lorry, another police officer jumped onto the driver's side door and tried to pull his hands away from the steering wheel.

The struggle ended when the lorry crashed into a metal railing and numerous officers stationed at the Gurkha Contingent jumped onto the vehicle to apprehend Hizamudin.

He was arrested about 20 minutes after the first two sergeants arrived on the scene. The lorry was searched, and drug utensils were found.

SGT Chi suffered a hip contusion and was given three days of medical leave. The police car was also scratched, which cost the Singapore Police Force S$400 to repair.

Mr Ang said Hizamudin had put SGT Chi in a "highly dangerous" situation, and that it was fortuitous the officer did not suffer more injuries from having his leg crushed between a heavy vehicle and a car.

The prosecutor, who sought 21 to 24 months' jail, said Hizamudin's actions showed defiance against authority and had high potential for harm.

He also noted that the offender indicated his intention to plead guilty at the earliest stage, was cooperative in investigations, and had shown some remorse.

Defence lawyer Ryan Nonis, who is from the Public Defender's Office, argued that the actual harm caused by Hizamudin's actions was not that high.

For causing hurt to a public servant who was discharging his duty, Hizamudin could have been jailed for up to seven years, and fined or caned.

For committing mischief by damaging the police car, he could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.

The maximum punishment for having drug utensils is a jail term of three years, a fine of S$10,000 or both. 

Source: CNA/dv(zl)

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