Singaporean who spat and shouted “corona, corona” jailed 2 months

Singapore — A man who spat and shouted “corona, corona” in a Changi Airport hotel was found guilty of one charge each of public nuisance and a rash act endangering others on Thursday (April 2) and sentenced to two months in jail.

Fifty-two-year-old Jasvinder Singh Mehar Singh, a Singaporean, also received a 55-day enhanced sentence for breaching a remission order, according to tnp.sg.

The incident occurred on March 3, when Singh entered one of the food and beverage establishments in the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Singh went directly to the buffet table, lined up and began to help himself to the food.

One of the staff then approached him and told him that the restaurant was closed. In response, he threw his plate to the floor. It shattered to pieces. Singh then walked towards the staff member who had spoken to him, spat on the floor and left the restaurant, complaining that other patrons could enjoy the food while he had not been allowed to do so.

The hotel manager, along with the assistant manager of the restaurant, went after Singh to the arrival hall of Terminal 3 and brought him back to the hotel lobby. The police were called.

As they made the call, Singh went towards the restaurant again, saying he wanted to break more plates. Members of the staff brought him back to the lobby. He sat on one of the sofas, put up his feet on top of a coffee table before him and kicked a sign on top of it. He spat on the floor again, twice, and then yelled “corona, corona” in the presence of hotel guests and staff.

Singh had been in trouble with the law since 2014.

According to Mr Eugene Sng, the Deputy Public Prosecutor, Singh had been convicted in May 14, 2019, of being a public nuisance. 

During the incidents on March 3, he was out on remission. As part of his early release, he was not supposed to re-offend from between Feb 28 and April 26 this year.

Due to the breach of his remission order, he must now spend 55 more days in jail.

For the offence of committing public nuisance, Singh could have been fined up to S$2,000 and sent to jail for another two months, and as for the offence of committing a rash act endangering others, he could have been given a S$2,500 fine and been sent to jail for as long as 6 months. /TISG