Man jailed six weeks, fined $1,000 for assaulting road user and policeman

Jerome Loy Xue Song was sentenced to six weeks' jail and fined $1,000 for assaulting a road user and a policeman in a road rage case. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - A 27-year-old man was sentenced to six weeks' jail and fined $1,000 on Friday (May 27) for assaulting a road user and a policeman in a road rage case.

Jerome Loy Xue Song pleaded guilty to three charges: causing hurt, assaulting a police officer and verbally abusing the policeman.

He admitted to four other similar charges, which were considered in sentencing.

A district court heard that at about 3.40am on April 18, 2014, Loy and his girlfriend were on their way home after they had gone drinking to celebrate a promotion and his belated birthday.

The couple crossed the road at a zebra crossing near River Valley Road, after a car had stopped to allow the pedestrians to cross.

After they had walked past the car, the vehicle started to turned into Tan Tye Place, but Loy suddenly turned around and used his hand to hit the car's windscreen, cracking it.

A 20-year-old passenger got out of the car to ask Loy why he had done so, but Loy punched him repeatedly on his head and face. Loy also pushed the victim and pulled his T-shirt, tearing it.

Two other passengers in the car then got out in a bid to stop the assault, but Loy pushed one of them, a 22-year-old woman, causing her to fall onto the bonnet of the car.

A police sergeant on patrol in the Clarke Quay area arrived shortly after and told Loy, who was observed to be behaving aggressively, to calm down.

While the policeman was holding onto Loy, the latter suddenly punched the officer's cheek.

Policeman then pinned Loy to the ground and arrested him.

While inside a police car on the way to Tanglin Police Division, Loy also shouted vulgarities at the police sergeant in a mix of English, Hokkien and Malay.

Despite warnings to stop, Loy persisted in using abusive language towards the officer, and also spat at his left forearm.

Loy will start serving his jail term on June 6.

For voluntarily causing hurt, he could have been jailed for two years and fined $5,000.

For assaulting a policeman, he could have been jailed for four years and fined.

For using abusive words towards a public servant, he could have been fined $5,000 or jailed for one year.

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