SINGAPORE: After drinking alcohol at Zouk, two men approached a taxi hoping to flag it down for a ride home.
However, the cabby rejected the request as he was waiting for a phone booking for a better fare. As a result, he was assaulted by the two men.
One of the men, 30-year-old Koh Liang Cai, was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on Friday (Oct 28). He pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt.
The court heard that Koh was drinking at Zouk in River Valley Road on New Year’s Eve two years ago with several people including co-accused 31-year-old Muhammad Taleb Kishen Muhammad Faisal.
At around 2.30am on Jan 1, 2020, Koh finished drinking and spotted a taxi parked at the side of the road. The cabby had just gone there and was waiting for a taxi booking via a phone call, as that would result in him getting a better taxi fare.
Koh called Taleb to head to the taxi with him. They spoke to the cabby through the passenger seat window, with Taleb asking if the cabby could ferry his wife home.
The taxi driver rejected the request and told Taleb to get another cab from the taxi stand at Clarke Quay instead.
Koh then reached through the front passenger seat window and punched the taxi driver once between his temple and eye.
Taleb then went to the driver’s side window and held the victim down. Koh then threw another punch at the back of the cabby’s head.
Taleb began punching the cabby’s face multiple times, landing blows mainly on his eye and nose. He also placed the victim in a chokehold. Koh subsequently left the area.
Soon after, police officers came by the scene and Taleb released his hold on the victim. The victim did not punch either of the two men, the court heard.
He also did not drive his cab away, as he was afraid of injuring the people around his taxi.
He suffered injuries from Taleb’s attacks, but felt only pain from Koh’s assault, the prosecutor said.
The prosecutor asked for four weeks’ jail for Koh. Taleb’s case is pending.
For voluntarily causing hurt, Koh could have been jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.