A drunk MediaCorp producer who took off her bikini top in a pool at Tanjong Beach Club on Sentosa used criminal force and hurled abusive language at four police officers who attended to a complaint.
Yesterday, Zhao Xiaotian, 26, was sentenced to two weeks' jail after she admitted to slapping Sergeant Muhammad Fahmi Osman, 27, and spitting at Sergeant Muhammad Hafiz Kamsari, 30, twice outside the club on April 26 last year.
She is out on $10,000 bail, pending her appeal against the sentence.
Zhao had gone to the club at about 1pm that day to meet her friends. They stayed on until the evening and consumed alcohol.
At about 8.30pm, security guard Zainal Abidin Amir Hamzah, 39, found that Zhao had removed her bikini top in the pool. She put it on when told to do so but went topless again shortly later.
When Mr Zainal Abidin asked for her identification, she became aggressive, and the police were called.
When sergeants Fahmi and Hafiz arrived, she used abusive language on them. After Sgt Fahmi asked for her IC, she put her black bikini top on his shoulder, close to his face.
She then slapped Sgt Fahmi on the left side of his face. She was arrested and struggled violently, but was eventually restrained.
When the two officers tried to place her in the back seat of the police car, she continued resisting and hurled vulgarities at them and spat at Sgt Hafiz twice.
Zhao remained hostile after a female sergeant arrived and used abusive language on the officers.
Her blood alcohol level was found to be 121mg per 100ml.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Randeep Singh Koonar sought a total jail term of one to two weeks, saying the abuse directed at the police officers was egregious. "It was both derogatory and calculated to be such."
Zhao's lawyer Nakoorsha A.K. said Zhao, who is now a sales and marketing associate, was very sorry and regretted her actions. She was completely out of character that night.
District Judge Lee Poh Choo said the facts showed total disregard for the police and Zhao's aggression affected multiple victims.
She agreed with the prosecution that although spitting did not cause any physical harm, it was a "repulsive and degrading act''.
"Law enforcement officers must be protected from abuse, whether physical or verbal, and must be accorded their due respect,'' she said.
Six other charges were taken into consideration.
Zhao, who was with MediaCorp in 2012 as well as from December 2014 to last September, could have been jailed for up to four years and fined on each charge.
