Man jailed for assaulting cabby who refused flag-down job as he was ready for taxi reserving

SINGAPORE: After consuming alcohol at Zouk, two males approached a taxi hoping to flag it down for a journey house.

Nonetheless, the cabby rejected the request as he was ready for a cellphone reserving for a greater fare. Consequently, he was assaulted by the 2 males.

One of many males, 30-year-old Koh Liang Cai, was sentenced to 4 weeks’ jail on Friday (Oct 28). He pleaded responsible to at least one depend of voluntarily inflicting harm.

The courtroom heard that Koh was consuming at Zouk in River Valley Highway on New Yr’s Eve two years in the past with a number of individuals together with co-accused 31-year-old Muhammad Taleb Kishen Muhammad Faisal.

At round 2.30am on Jan 1, 2020, Koh completed consuming and noticed a taxi parked in conjunction with the highway. The cabby had simply gone there and was ready for a taxi reserving through a cellphone name, as that may end in him getting a greater taxi fare.

Koh referred to as Taleb to go to the taxi with him. They spoke to the cabby via the passenger seat window, with Taleb asking if the cabby may ferry his spouse house.

The taxi driver rejected the request and instructed Taleb to get one other cab from the taxi stand at Clarke Quay as a substitute.

Koh then reached via the entrance passenger seat window and punched the taxi driver as soon as between his temple and eye.

Taleb then went to the motive force’s aspect window and held the sufferer down. Koh then threw one other punch in the back of the cabby’s head.

Taleb started punching the cabby’s face a number of instances, touchdown blows primarily on his eye and nostril. He additionally positioned the sufferer in a chokehold. Koh subsequently left the world.

Quickly after, cops got here by the scene and Taleb launched his maintain on the sufferer. The sufferer didn’t punch both of the 2 males, the courtroom heard.

He additionally didn’t drive his cab away, as he was afraid of injuring the individuals round his taxi.

He suffered accidents from Taleb’s assaults, however felt solely ache from Koh’s assault, the prosecutor mentioned.

The prosecutor requested for 4 weeks’ jail for Koh. Taleb’s case is pending. 

For voluntarily inflicting harm, Koh may have been jailed for as much as three years, fined as much as S$5,000, or each.