SINGAPORE: A man who had waited more than 30 minutes for a taxi got into a fight with another man who was also waiting for a cab, with both thinking the other had cut the queue.
For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, 32-year-old Sim Yi Ming was jailed for 11 months on Thursday (Sep 1).
The court heard that Sim had gone to a pub at Golden Mile Complex for drinks with a friend on the night of Dec 27, 2021. The victim, a 39-year-old man, had also gone to a pub in the same building.
Between 10pm and 11pm, the victim left the pub and went to a taxi stand to wait for a cab. Sim and his friend separately left the pub they were in and walked to the entrance of Golden Mile Complex.
They could not book a private-hire car via Grab or Gojek and wanted to flag down a taxi.
The victim thought that Sim and his friend wanted to cut the queue, so he walked in front of them to wait for a taxi.
Sim and his friend approached the victim and asked what he was doing. The victim replied that he was waiting for a taxi, and a dispute broke out.
Sim punched the victim in the eye, and both men fell to the ground, with Sim punching the victim multiple times in the face.
Police officers patrolling the area were alerted to the incident and separated the two men.
The victim sustained a fracture around his eye and tenderness over his face. He was taken to hospital and admitted for observation and management of his injuries. The man was given seven days’ hospitalisation leave.
In mitigation, Sim, who was unrepresented, claimed that he had been waiting to flag a cab for more than 30 minutes.
“My Gojek and the Grab are down. The victim … he cut my queue, and I walk to him and tell him politely (that I was) waiting,” he said.
He said he told the victim that he did not mind if the latter was waiting for a Grab or a Gojek, but the victim said he was waiting for a taxi.
“I say I wait quite long … already, and I (was) very tired. After that, he (didn’t) want to back off, and he continued to say those words to try to get into conflict with me, that’s why we have this,” said Sim, adding that the victim shouted vulgarities at him.
He said he knew that it was his fault but hoped that the judge would be more lenient.
The prosecutor called for 10 to 11 months’ jail, noting Sim’s previous convictions including voluntarily causing hurt in 2014, for which he spent three weeks in jail.
“While we acknowledge that the victim walked in front of him to try to get a taxi, there was really no reason for him to resort to violence in this case,” said the prosecutor, adding that Sim had been drinking and was intoxicated.
The judge said that “regardless of whatever provocation” the victim made, there was no reason for Sim to punch him and fracture his face.
For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, he could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned.