Lorry driver jailed for punching e-scooter rider in face
In a case of road rage, a lorry driver was yesterday jailed for 30 days after he punched an e-scooter rider in the face at least four times.
Tan Kok Kheng, 52, also threw the rider's e-scooter onto the ground in front of the latter's daughter, who was seen crying in the middle of the road.
Tan pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt, with another charge of committing mischief taken into consideration.
The incident occurred at about 3.45pm on April 10, 2017. The rider, Mr Muhammad Syukor Roslan, 31, had his daughter with him on the e-scooter after picking her up from school.
He was about to cross the Y-junction of Teck Whye Lane on Choa Chu Kang Road when he noticed that Tan was going to turn left into the minor road.
Mr Syukor stopped, raised his hand for Tan to give way and saw that Tan was slowing down.
Thinking that Tan was giving way, Mr Syukor accelerated to cross the junction, but Tan accelerated as well.
As a result, both had to brake to avoid a collision, Deputy Public Prosecutor Lee Wei Liang told District Judge John Ng.
Tan alighted from his lorry and confronted Mr Syukor, who asked Tan why he did not wait for him to cross the junction as he had a child riding pillion.
Court documents did not state the girl's age.
Tan did not reply. Instead, he punched Mr Syukor in the face at least four times, then lifted Mr Syukor's e-scooter and threw it on the ground.
A witness called the police at about 4.05pm, and told them that Mr Syukor's daughter was traumatised.
Mr Syukor visited a polyclinic the next day and was found to have suffered tenderness over his right forehead and left lower eyelid.
COMPENSATION
Tan has since paid $1,000 to cover the victim's medical expenses and $300 as compensation for the damage caused to his e-scooter.
DPP Lee asked for at least five weeks' jail and said Tan was the aggressor from start to finish.
"The accused behaved like a bully and a hooligan throughout the episode," he told Judge Ng.
While the harm caused was low, DPP Lee said the assault took place in public view and cannot be trivialised.
For voluntarily causing hurt, Tan could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000.
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