A woman who made the news last year has gotten in trouble with the law again, this time for allegedly refusing to allow an Indian woman to sit beside her on the bus.
After they got off, the woman is said to have further insulted the Indian woman with a racial slur and profanity.
Connie Soh, who in 2020 slapped a then eight-year-old girl after the child had accidentally stepped on her foot in the MRT, found herself in court on Tuesday (Aug 23).
Soh was now slapped with one count each of using criminal force on the woman and for deliberately uttering words to wound her racial feelings in an incident that occurred in November of last year.
She had been expected to enter a guilty plea.
However, The Straits Times reported that Soh’s case was adjourned for a pre-trial conference on Oct 5 after a closed-door session in chambers before District Judge Shawn Ho.
The reason for the adjournment was not given to the court.
The incident between Soh and the Indian woman occurred on the evening of Nov 11, 2021.
They had been on bus service number 51, and as it was near Haw Par Villa MRT station, Soh is said to have stretched her arm so that her elbow hit the arm of the Indian woman sitting beside her.
She also told the woman not to sit there.
This occurred at around 10:25 pm.
After they alighted less than half an hour later, Soh reportedly used vulgar and racist language when addressing the woman.
For the offence of deliberately uttering words to wound a person’s racial feelings, a person who is found guilty may be fined and sent to jail for up to three years.
As for the use of criminal force, a person may be fined as much as $1,500 and jailed for up to three months.
Soh is out on bail of $5,000. She did not engage the services of a lawyer to represent her.
Last year, Soh pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt. On July 15, 2020, a then eight-year-old girl accidentally stepped on Soh’s foot after getting on the train with her mother at the MRT station at Choa Chu Kang.
The girl apologised to Soh, but as she was on the phone and talking loudly at the time, she did not hear the girl.
She then asked the mother of the girl why she did not apologise.
But the mother told her that she had said sorry.
This led to an argument between the women. When the girl and her mother tried to leave at Yew Tee station, Soh slapped the girl on her left cheek.
Netizens commenting on Soh’s encounter with the Indian woman drew attention to her former offence.
Some said that if she has such a hard time sharing public transport with others, she should just drive her own vehicle.
/TISG