Jail for man who abused police officers with vulgar language on two occasions

Ron Phua Kuan Haw was sentenced to nine weeks' jail. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

SINGAPORE - A man who verbally abused police officers with vulgar language on two occasions also uttered an insult against Malays to a policewoman.

Ron Phua Kuan Haw, 41, was on Thursday (July 15) sentenced to nine weeks' jail.

The Singaporean had pleaded guilty to two counts each of harassment and using criminal force on a public servant. He had also admitted to one count of mischief.

On the evening of Nov 29, 2018, he had drinks at a MacPherson Mall bar and left shortly after midnight.

The bar owner noticed that Phua had left his cap behind and asked a man to return it to him.

The man was at a carpark around 12.40am on Nov 30, 2018 when he saw Phua repeatedly hitting a Nets machine with a book before walking away.

A mall security officer checked the machine soon after and saw that its screen was damaged. The court heard that the machine had to be replaced.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Lee Zu Zhao said Phua later discharged a fire extinguisher at the mall. The security officer alerted the police and officers arrived at the scene.

A policeman decided to arrest Phua when he refused to cooperate.

Officers were escorting him to their car when he abused them with vulgar language. He was later released.

Around 1.20am on Dec 21 that year, two other officers - a policeman and a policewoman - were patrolling a carpark in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 when they spotted Phua sleeping inside his van.

The pair woke him up and asked for his identification. While they were recording his particulars, he suddenly got out of the van and was seen to be standing unsteadily.

The policewoman asked if he had consumed alcohol but he ignored her and walked away.

The two officers stopped him and he later admitted he had downed some drinks. Phua, who was smoking a cigarette, then blew smoke at the policewoman's face.

He also used his right index finger to poke the officer's left shoulder before he abused her with vulgar language.

Phua flicked embers from his lit cigarette at the policewoman's face when the two officers moved in to detain him.

He was travelling in the officers' car later that morning when he made a remark insulting Malays.

Phua's bail was set at $15,000 on Thursday and he was ordered to surrender himself at the State Courts on Aug 10 to begin serving his jail term.

For each count of harassment, an offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $5,000.

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