Eight Charged For Abusive Behaviour Relating To Non-Compliance With Safe Distancing Measures

Seven men and one woman, aged between 35 and 58, were charged in court on 22 April 2020 for abusive behaviour in relation to non-compliance with safe distancing measures (SDM) during the COVID-19 circuit breaker period.

The cases are as follows:

1. On 12 April 2020, a 55-year-old Singaporean man was advised by a female service attendant to wear a mask whilst inside the convenience store at an ESSO petrol station along Jervois road. He refused to do so and allegedly scolded the service attendant with vulgarities, pushed her on the shoulder and slapped her on the cheek. For using vulgarities on the service attendant, the man was charged with intentional harassment under section 3(2) of the Protection from Harassment Act. For pushing and slapping the service attendant, the man was charged with using criminal force and voluntarily causing hurt under section 352 and section 323 of the Penal Code respectively.
   
   
2. On 13 April 2020, a 35-year-old Singaporean man was reported to have hurled vulgarities towards an enforcement officer (EO) from the Singapore Food Agency during an enforcement check on illegal hawking at Yuhua Village Coffeeshop located at Jurong East Street 24. For using vulgarities against the EO, the man was charged with using abusive language towards a public servant punishable under section 6(3) of the Protection from Harassment Act. For illegal hawking at the coffeeshop, the man has been issued with a composition fine for breaching regulation 11 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measure) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 - carrying on business in premises outside his place of residence as a non-essential service provider.
   
   
3. On 14 April 2020, a 46-year-old Taiwanese woman was denied entry into ION Orchard mall by a female security guard as she was not wearing a mask. She then allegedly sneezed in the direction of the guard and shouted at her. The woman was charged with intentionally causing alarm under section 3(1)(a) punishable under s 3(2) of the Protection from Harassment Act.
   
   
4. On 14 April 2020, a 58-year-old Singaporean man was arrested by the Police. He was chatting at the ground floor area of Block 532 Bedok North Street 3 with his friends. When a Police officer was issuing a Notice of Composition to him for breaching SDM, he tried to flee. During the incident, he also repeatedly shone the flashlight from his handphone at the Police officer’s face. For meeting his friends during the COVID-19 circuit breaker period, the man was charged for breaching regulation 6 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measure) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 punishable under Section 34(7) of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020. For behaving in a manner that caused annoyance to the Police officer while drunk in a public place, the man was charged with drunkenness in public places under section 14(2) of the Liquor Control Act.
   
   
5. On 16 April 2020, a 37-year-old Singaporean man was arrested for insulting a Police officer as the latter had issued him with a Notice of Composition for not wearing a mask outside The Cathay. For insulting the Police officer, the man was charged with using abusive language against a public servant punishable under section 6(3) of the Protection from Harassment Act. For failing to wear a mask in a public place, the man has been issued with a composition fine for breaching regulation 3A of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measure) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.
   
   
6. On 17 April 2020, a 52-year-old Singaporean man uttered racist remarks and vulgarities against the Chinese, directed towards a female store supervisor at a grocery store at Block 651 Jurong West Street 61. The store supervisor had refused to sell a packet of soy milk to him as he was not wearing a mask. For uttering racist remarks and vulgarities against the store supervisor, the man was charged with uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the racial feelings of any person under section 298 of the Penal Code and causing intentional harassment under section 3(2) of the Protection from Harassment Act. For failing to wear a mask in a public place, the accused was charged for breaching regulation 3A of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measure) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 punishable under Section 34(7) of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020.
   
   
7. On 18 April 2020, a 52-year-old Singaporean man was arrested for hurling vulgarities and threatening two EOs after he was advised to wear his mask properly while queuing for his food at Block 87 Whampoa Drive. The man had earlier already been arrested on 14 April for public nuisance after drinking with his friend in the vicinity of Whampoa Drive and using vulgarities against a Police officer during the arrest. For using vulgarities on the Police officer and EOs on 14 April 2020 and 18 April 2020 respectively, the man was charged with three counts of using abusive language against a public servant punishable under section 6(3) of the Protection from Harassment Act. For threatening the EOs, the man was charged with two counts of criminal intimidation under section 506 of the Penal Code. For meeting his friend during the COVID-19 circuit breaker period on 14 April 2020, the man was charged with breaching regulation 6 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measure) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 punishable under Section 34(7) of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020. For not wearing a mask in a public place on 18 April 2020, the man was charged for breaching regulation 3A of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measure) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 punishable under Section 34(7) of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020.
   
   
8. On 18 April 2020, a 56-year-old Singaporean man was arrested by the Police for using vulgarities against a Police officer and raising his right arm to push away the Police officer’s hand when the latter was arresting him. The man had been uncooperative when advised by a Safe Distancing Ambassador (SDA) not to drink at the void deck of Block 20 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh and the Police were called in to assist the SDA. For hurling vulgarities at the Police officer and pushing away the Police officer’s hand during the arrest, the man was charged with using abusive language against a public servant punishable under section 6(3) of the Protection from Harassment Act and using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty punishable under section 353 of the Penal Code respectively. For failing to wear a mask in a public place and having no reasonable excuse to leave his home to drink at the void deck, the man was charged for breaching regulation 3A and regulation 4(2) punishable under Section 34(7) of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 respectively.

Everyone should take the circuit breaker measures seriously, and cooperate with, and comply with the instructions of EOs, and SG Clean and Safe Distancing Ambassadors. The Police will not tolerate any verbal or physical abuse of them. They are performing an important duty to keep us and our community safe. Let us all do our part to curb the spread of COVID-19.