Briton charged with punching security guard
An advertising firm owner who allegedly punched a security supervisor at Roxy Square shopping centre in East Coast Road earlier this month appeared in court yesterday.
The incident was caught on video and went viral.
The alleged assailant, Briton Stuart Boyd Mills, 47, who owns The Creative Mills, was charged in court with one count each of assault and harassment.
The permanent resident is accused of punching security supervisor Andrew Lim Cheng Hock's face at the loading bay of the shopping centre around 12.15am on April 4.
Mills is also said to have used vulgar language towards him.
Mr Lim, 60, had earlier told The Straits Times that a man had approached a security guard complaining that he was trying to leave the building but could not find an exit.
The guard tried to explain to him that the main exit was locked at that time of the night.
But the man refused to listen and asked to speak to the supervisor, who was Mr Lim.
Mr Lim told ST that he tried to tell the man there were several other exits but the man ignored him.
He added that the man began behaving in a threatening manner, standing very close to him.
Mr Lim then asked the guard to take a video in case anything happened, and the clip shows the man using foul language.
The footage shows that the man eventually follows him towards an exit - but as Mr Lim walks ahead of him, the man sticks out his leg and trips Mr Lim. The man then punches Mr Lim, knocking him to the ground.
RUN AWAY
Recounting the incident, Mr Lim said his assailant tried to run away but the guard who was filming them moved to stop him.
According to Mr Lim, the man fled as the guard called the police.
Mills, who is represented by lawyer Ramesh Tiwary, will be back in court on May 15.
If convicted of assault, he can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000.
Offenders convicted of harassment can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $5,000.
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