Singapore — Lim Kim Joo, who punched a 70-year-old man in the face after nearly bumping into him while Mr Lim was driving his e-scooter, pleaded guilty on July 23, Tuesday, to one assault charge, and has been fined S$4,500.
On November 13 of last year, at around 10:30 in the evening, as 70-year-old Edwin Yap Hock Seng was walking home, he saw Mr Lim on his e-scooter. Mr Lim was driving in the direction of Mr Yap on the pavement.
According to Ben Mathias Tan, the Deputy Public Prosecutor on the case, Mr Lim “narrowly missed” hitting Mr Yap.
Instead of being apologetic for the near-miss, Mr Lim got angry at Mr Yap, and scolded him, hurling vulgar words in Hokkien his way.
The older man walked away from Mr Lim.
However, Mr Lim followed Mr Yap to the elevator lobby of the block where he lives, and pushed him in his chest area, causing Mr Yap to fall and hit his right elbow on a mailbox.
And then he proceeded to punch the older man on his nose, daring him to call the police, which Mr Yap did, a short while later.
By 10:33 pm, Mr Yap dialed 999 and said: “Someone assault me here. No need ambulance. This guy is very violent.”
A medical report dated a month after December 5 showed that Mr Yap still had minor swelling over the bridge of his nose.
DPP Tan urged District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim to set a fine for Mr Lim for the amount of at least S$5,000, since, after all, he had assaulted a man at the age of 70.
According to the Deputy Public Prosecutor, “The accused acted with a degree of premeditation and deliberateness in that the victim had disengaged by walking away but the accused caught up with the victim and confronted him.
Even after assaulting the elderly man, the accused continued hurling vulgarities at him.”
He added that Mr Lim had prior convictions in 1984.
Had Mr Lim receive the full penalties for his offence, he could have been made to pay a fine of S$5,000 and sent to jail for two years.
Mr Lim has already paid S$1,500 from the fine and was given time by the District Judge to pay the balance, which is due on August 30. -/TISG
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