6 weeks' jail, fine for 31-year-old man who was caught on video terrorising taxi driver, passengers in Choa Chu Kang

SINGAPORE - In a fit of rage, a man hit the side mirror of a taxi and hurled vulgarities at the driver, who was in the vehicle with passengers, including a young child.

Joel Tan Qing Wei, 31, was on Friday sentenced to six weeks’ jail and a fine of $2,000 after he pleaded guilty to one count each of harassment and committing an act of mischief.

Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Eddy Tham said such thuggish behaviour has no place here.

Tan’s ugly behaviour in a service road beside Block 804B Keat Hong Close in Choa Chu Kang on Oct 10, 2021, was captured on videos which went viral.

In one clip, Tan, wearing a dark-coloured T-shirt, is seen picking up a motorcycle helmet from the ground and using it to hit a side mirror of the yellow taxi.

He can also be heard letting loose a stream of vulgarities.

[[nid:548010]]

A separate video of the commotion captured by one of the frightened passengers shows Tan circling the vehicle while yelling obscenities.

Another passenger is heard calling the police while holding tightly onto a child.

The police had said in an earlier statement that the taxi driver and his passengers were not hurt in the incident.

For harassment, an offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $5,000.

For committing an act of mischief, an offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.