E-scooter rider fined $4,500 for punching elderly pedestrian

An e-scooter rider almost rode into an elderly man who was walking towards him - but, instead of apologising, he followed him to his block, hurled vulgarities and punched him in the face.

Lim Kim Joo, 55, pleaded guilty yesterday to an assault charge and was fined $4,500.

Mr Edwin Yap Hock Seng, 70, was walking home along Yishun Ring Road at around 10.30pm on Nov 13 last year when he spotted Lim riding his e-scooter towards him on the pavement.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ben Mathias Tan said that Lim "narrowly missed" the older man and scolded Mr Yap, who walked away after ignoring the tirade.

Still unhappy, Lim tailed Mr Yap to the lift lobby of his block and shoved his chest. Mr Yap stumbled backwards and hit his right elbow against a letterbox.

Lim then punched Mr Yap in the nose and challenged the older man to call the police. Mr Yap alerted the authorities soon after.

He went to a clinic on Dec 5 last year and a medical report about a month later stated that there was a minor swelling over the bridge of his nose.

The DPP told District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim that Lim had punched an elderly man, and urged her to sentence the offender to a fine of at least $5,000.

He added: "The accused acted with a degree of premeditation and deliberateness in that the victim had disengaged by walking away but the accused caught up with the victim and confronted him.

"Even after assaulting the elderly man, the accused continued hurling vulgarities at him."

For assault, Lim could have been jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 24, 2019, with the headline E-scooter rider fined $4,500 for punching elderly pedestrian. Subscribe