The Chinese daily has reported that a receptionist of a hotel along Lorong 4 Geylang was attacked by a regular customer when the employee refused to allow the man check in with another man and a seemingly drunk and unconscious woman into the hotel.
The incident occurred about a month ago, in the early hours of the morning on 26 Jan.
Worried for the safety of the woman, the 26-year-old employee named Liu Junbin, told the older regular customer that they had no more rooms available when he asked to check in for one night. He told the publication: “I saw that the girl was drunk and unconscious, so I said there were no available rooms.”
Incensed, the 58-year-old customer started shouting at Liu who raised his voice as well. Enraged at Liu’s response, the man said, “Nobody raises their voice at me,” before he picked up a decorative copper lion on the counter and struck Liu on his head.
Liu suffered a 2cm wound along his eyebrow and began to bleed profusely as his eye began to swell. He recounted: “The copper lion was around 10cm. No other staff was around and other guests at the scene could not react in time. After the uncle left. I called my manager, who then arrived at the hotel and called the police.”
The assailant returned to the hotel two days later and sought to settle the matter privately. Liu said: “He apologised and offered $500 as compensation. He wanted to settle the matter privately, but we decided to let the police handle it.”
According to the Chinese daily, the older man was arrested and charged in court with voluntarily causing hurt by a dangerous weapon.