SINGAPORE: A man committed a series of crimes including rear-ending a Grab food delivery cyclist, cursing at auxiliary police officers and taking methamphetamine.
Benjamin Lin Yonghan, 34, was sentenced on Monday (Jun 19) to three years and five weeks’ jail and a fine of S$2,000. Most of the jail term was for the drug consumption offence.
Lin pleaded guilty to four charges including voluntarily causing hurt and using abusive words on a person executing his duty as a public servant. Another two charges were taken into consideration.
WHAT HAPPENED
The court heard that Lin was smoking at Block 603, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 on Apr 26 last year when two Certis CISCO auxiliary police officers acting as National Environment Agency (NEA) enforcement officers saw him.
The officers asked Lin for his particulars so they could issue him a summons, as he was not allowed to smoke at that location.
Lin refused to comply and walked away. One of the officers called the police for help.
The officers followed Lin, maintaining that they wanted to issue him a summons. Lin turned aggressive and walked up to them, cornering one of the officers against a car and shoving the officer’s hand, causing the officer’s phone to drop on the floor.
Police officers arrived and tried to calm Lin down, but Lin still approached the same Certis CISCO officer and cursed at him.
A few months later on Jul 11, 2022, a 41-year-old Grab delivery rider was on his bicycle at a road crossing near Block 611, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 when he encountered Lin.
Lin was riding a motorcycle and tried to execute a sharp U-turn in front of the cyclist. The cyclist shouted at Lin because of the dangerous manoeuvre Lin was attempting.
When the lights turned green for the cyclist, he crossed the road towards Block 180, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.
Lin was angered by the cyclist’s words and stopped his motorcycle by the side of the road. He asked his girlfriend to alight before he chased the cyclist on his motorbike.
He followed the cyclist to a bicycle bay near the lift lobby of a block in Ang Mo Kio before riding his motorcycle into the back of the victim’s bicycle.
The victim was still on his bicycle and fell off on impact.
He tried to flee, but Lin shouted that he would smash the bicycle. The victim tried to apologise to Lin and wanted to retrieve his bicycle before leaving, but Lin began throwing punches at him.
The punches caused the victim to lose his balance and fall to the floor, where Lin continued to punch and kick him. Lin eventually stopped his assault and rode away.
The victim saw a doctor the next day and was found to have multiple bruises on his chest and chin, with abrasions and cuts on his legs and chest.
Lin was arrested by Central Narcotics Bureau officers on Sep 22, 2022. His urine samples tested positive for methamphetamine.
He admitted consuming the drug in a public toilet at a coffee shop, after buying it from someone he met in Geylang.
He had been convicted in 2007 for the consumption of norketamine and sentenced to 16 months’ jail.
The prosecutor asked for a fine of between S$2,000 and S$3,000, as well as a jail term ranging from three years and six weeks, to three years and nine weeks.
He said Lin has past violence-related convictions and made a concerted effort to chase the cyclist down before injuring him.