SINGAPORE: A man with a criminal history returned to his violent ways when he was out on bail, even making a scene at his mother’s funeral wake and prompting a relative to call the police.
Tay Kim Hui, 53, was sentenced to 13 weeks’ jail on Friday (Nov 10) for three charges including a rash act, causing hurt to a police officer and affray. A fourth charge was taken into consideration.
The court heard that Tay had been arrested by police officers on Jul 6.
This was after Tay fought with a drinking acquaintance at a hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio, after his request for money was rebuffed.
Tay left the hawker centre after a scuffle, before returning with two knives from his mother’s house and smashing a glass beer bottle on the ground at the hawker centre.
He was released on bail pending police investigations when he made a scene at his mother’s funeral wake.
On Oct 11, the wake was being held for Tay’s mother at a block in Boon Lay.
Investigations revealed that Tay had been present at the wake since 3pm and had been drinking alcohol since that time.
He walked around the wake, pestering his family members so they would be a bailor for his court hearing the next morning.
According to his elder brother, none of their relatives could control him, so police assistance was sought to prevent Tay’s disruptive behaviour from escalating.
A relative called the police, saying she had seen Tay being drunk, trying to fight his family members and refusing to leave the wake.
A police officer went to the scene shortly and saw Tay drinking beer at a bench, with slurred speech.
He was persistent in his attempts to stand up and return to the wake, despite the officer’s efforts to stop him.
While the police officer was guarding Tay from entering the wake, Tay suddenly threw a half-full can of beer towards the officer, hitting his face.
The officer immediately restrained Tay.
The prosecution sought 19 to 22 weeks’ jail for Tay, citing his long list of past convictions for crimes like theft, affray, gambling in public and drug offences.
Tay was remanded and unrepresented.
In mitigation, he asked for a light sentence, acknowledging that what he had done was wrong.
“I drank on that day because I was feeling very sad over my mother’s death,” he said. “And when I requested my brother and sister to bail me on the next day, they ignored me and also made fun of me, therefore I became very upset.”
He asked for a shorter sentence, saying he hoped to “go out and pay last (respects) to my mother, as I didn’t have a chance to send her to the crematorium on her departure”.