SINGAPORE - A man deliberately bumped his body against moving cars and then asked motorists for compensation for knocking into him, a district court heard.
But none of the six victims was deceived by Tsai Swee Kiat, 34, as they were driving slowly within residential estates or carparks. Some had also seen his actions and knew that he had jumped onto their vehicle, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li.
Tsai received $96 from three victims, one of whom did it out of pity while the other two just wanted him to leave as they were travelling with young children.
On Wednesday (July 19), Tsai was sentenced to 13 months' jail after he pleaded guilty to two counts each of attempted cheating and causing hurt, and one of punching a policeman on the nose to deter him from discharging his duty.
The court heard that on Nov 18, last year, Mr Tan Ah Choon went to a block in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 to help his friend, Mr Derrick Pay Sim Leng, who was involved in a dispute with Tsai. Mr Pay noticed Tsai sitting on the steps outside his home and appeared to be using a syringe.
When Mr Pay told him not to sit there, Tsai pushed him. Mr Pay, who is handicapped, called Mr Tan down. Mr Tan tried to push Tsai away. As a result, Tsai fell. He then got up and went back to his home.
Subsequently, Tsai attacked Mr Tan in the lift lobby with a sharp metal object. Mr Tan passed out and started bleeding from a head wound. He also had defensive injuries on his left hand when he tried to block the attacks.
The attack stopped when Mr Pay picked up a broom from a nearby flat and used it to drive Tsai off.
In another case, on Nov 27, one Chin Chai Ren saw Tsai talking to an elderly Malay couple at a sheltered walkway in Ang Mo Kio Street 31. Mr Chin recognised Tsai as the person who had accused him of knocking into him a day earlier.
Suspecting that Tsai may be trying to cheat unknown drivers, Mr Chin called the police before advising the elderly couple not to give Tsai any money.
Agitated, Tsai punched Mr Chin on the lower jaw, causing a bruise.
In another incident, the court heard that Tsai jumped in front of Mr Toh Wei Keat's taxi at Block 214 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 as the driver started driving off.
When Mr Toh alighted, Tsai claimed that Mr Toh had knocked into him and asked for compensation. But the cabby refused as he had seen Tsai jump in front of his taxi.
On Jan 2, Tsai suddenly bumped into a car driven by Mr Tan Meng Hsiung along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and demanded $100 to $150 as compensation. Mr Tan refused and called the police.
When police came, Tsai tried to walk away. Police found out that he was wanted and proceeded to arrest him. But Tsai resisted and during a struggle, he threw a punch at Special Constabulary Sergeant Mohamed Idris Zakir Hussain. The victim suffered a contusion to the upper lip region.
Tsai, who had several unrelated previous convictions, had his sentence backdated to Jan 3.
