Singapore — British national Benjamin Glynn who was seen without a mask on a train was ordered by a judge on Thursday (Aug 5) to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) after ranting in court.
Just like Badge lady, or Phoon Chiu Yoke who during her previous appearance in court on May 24, walked in without a mask on. The 40-year-old man who was not wearing a mask on an MRT train also turned up at court on Friday (Jul 2) without wearing a mask.
Glynn, 40, faces four charges for failing to wear a mask without reasonable excuse, public nuisance and using threatening words towards a public servant. During his court hearing on Thursday, he insisted that he was a sovereign citizen and called court proceedings “preposterous” and “disgusting”.
Though it was supposed to be Glynn’s first day of trial, he noted that he would not be pleading guilty or not guilty as it was “nonsense”.
“I will never plead guilty or not guilty. I can’t believe this has been going on since the 8th of May,” Glynn said.
“It’s so straightforward it’s so clear that this sham of a case should be dropped.”
Throughout the court session, Glynn interrupted District Judge Eddy Tham at multiple points and said, according to a Today Online report: “I assure you my mind is very sound. Every time I ask you hard questions, you can’t answer me, you shoot me down. What law have I broken? I asked you three times the last time, you gave me silence, silence, silence.”
When Judge Tham ordered Glynn to be remanded at IMH for two weeks and return to court on Aug 19, Glynn raised his voice, calling it “absolutely outrageous injustice”.
During his hearing on Jul 2, Glynn had to be told twice by District Judge Lorraine Ho during the hearing to wear his mask properly before he pulled it up to cover his nose.
However, he immediately took the mask off once he stepped out of the State Courts building, a TODAY online report stated.
On May 7, Glynn was filmed explaining to passengers around him in the MRT why he believes masks are pointless.
Despite being offered a mask from another passenger, Glynn refused and said he would never wear one.
It was reported that he was arrested hours later.
Also read: ‘MBS badge woman’ claims in court that she did not know she was required to wear a mask in public
In Jun, Glynn told The Daily Mail that he should not have to go to court and be released because he wants to leave the country.
The man, identified as Benjamin Glynn, a father of two, told The Daily Mail back in his home country that he should be permitted to return to the United Kingdom because he already wants to leave Singapore.
“I had no idea anyone had even been filming, but it turned out a video of me unmasked on the late train home from work surfaced online,” he told the publication.
“The police obviously saw it, and the next day they were at the door.”
Glynn explained that he didn’t believe there is any evidence that masks protect individuals from Covid-19. /TISG
Read related: Badge lady meets her match as Ang Moh seen without a mask also shows up to court not wearing one