Woman fined in 2022 for harassing neighbour pleads guilty to unrelated act of mischief
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Lim Sok Lay pleaded guilty to one count each of committing an act of mischief and using criminal force on another person.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
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SINGAPORE – A woman who was fined in 2022 for harassing her neighbour
Lim Sok Lay, who had an ongoing dispute with her adult son over him joining a lion dance troupe, went to the event at West Coast Community Centre in Clementi West Street 2 on July 29, 2023.
While there, she poured coffee on and kicked the “head” of one of the costumes, causing more than $1,300 in damage.
On Feb 3, the 52-year-old woman pleaded guilty to one count each of committing an act of mischief and using criminal force on another person.
Her husband, Cheang Eng Hock, 60, is also accused of disrupting the competition. He
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tin Shu Min told the court that the couple did not approve of their son associating with the Times Cultural Arts Lion Dance Troupe as they felt that it had negatively influenced him.
The pair were aware that the troupe, including their son who was 25 years old at the time, was competing at the community centre on July 29, 2023.
The DPP said that the couple decided to confront their son and the others in the troupe, adding: “They arrived at the community centre and saw that their son and the...troupe were preparing their props to perform in the competition.
“Shortly before 3.46pm, the accused persons, who were each holding a cup of coffee, poured their coffee over a lion dance costume belonging to the...troupe, staining it. The coffee stains on the costume could not be removed. Additionally, (Lim) kicked the head of the costume, causing damage.”
The commotion disrupted the competition for around 10 minutes and the couple were escorted out of the community centre.
The police were alerted.
DPP Tin said that the soiled costume could no longer be used for the competition.
The Singaporean couple first made the headlines when they harassed their neighbour, who was a hospital nurse, and his family in 2020.
The pair shouted the words “Covid”, “Covid spreader”, “virus” and “virus family” at them. Lim also sprayed liquid disinfectant in their direction.
In February 2022, she was fined $4,000 while Cheang was fined $1,200.
In an unrelated case, Lim was at a coffee shop in Edgefield Plains in Punggol on Feb 2, 2023, when a 60-year-old male acquaintance offered to carry her five-month-old grandson who was crying at the time.
The man then carried the child while queueing for food in front of Lim and her family. He later joined her table and she took the baby back from him.
Later that night, Lim and her family noticed a scratch on the baby’s nose and believed that the man had caused it.
Further investigations revealed no evidence to suggest that he had injured the baby.
Lim went to the coffeeshop shortly before 8am the next day and confronted the man when she saw him there.
DPP Tin said: “The accused pushed the victim with both hands. The push caused the victim to step away from the accused. The accused continued to push the victim twice more until the victim was backed up against (a staircase railing).”
Lim shoved the man one more time before walking away.
She is expected to be sentenced on Feb 26.
