Man injures bus passenger after throwing bottle through window following Orchard Road dispute
A 38-year-old man has pleaded guilty to throwing a liquor bottle at a double-decker bus along Orchard Road earlier this year, shattering a window and injuring a passenger after a verbal dispute.
The incident occurred on the evening of 5 July at about 6.40pm, when Quztaza Kamarudin was travelling with a friend on SMRT bus service 190 towards the Somerset area.
Source: 是cc啊 on Xiaohongshu
He was seated on the upper deck and had been drinking soju from a bottle while on board.
Man throws soju bottle at bus window, causes injury that requires stitches
When the bus reached the vicinity of The Heeren along Orchard Road, Quztaza and his friend attempted to head down the staircase, where they encountered a 57-year-old woman and her husband who were making their way upstairs.
As the narrow passageway became blocked, a verbal altercation broke out, with both sides exchanging insults.
The couple later moved to seats at the rear of the upper deck, with the woman seated next to a window. Quztaza subsequently alighted from the bus.
When the bus stopped at a nearby traffic light shortly after, Quztaza walked past and looked up at the upper deck, where he saw the woman’s husband raise his middle finger at him.
Enraged, he hurled the soju bottle at the upper-deck window with considerable force.
Source: Singapore Police Force
The bottle smashed through the glass and struck the woman on the left cheek.
She was taken to Singapore General Hospital, where doctors found one to two relatively deep lacerations on her cheek that required stitches, along with abrasions and soft tissue swelling.
Source: 是cc啊 on Xiaohongshu
Following treatment, she was given five days of medical leave after being discharged.
Theft committed while on bail
Quztaza fled the scene before police arrived and was arrested three days later, on 8 July. He was charged the following day and released on bail.
However, he went on to commit another offence while out on bail.
At about 1.30am on 26 July, Quztaza stole a bottle of whisky worth S$78 from a convenience store in Boat Quay after being unable to purchase alcohol due to the legal cut-off time.
The store manager later noticed the missing bottle during a review of CCTV footage and alerted the police.
Officers subsequently arrested Quztaza nearby, with the unopened bottle found in his possession.
Repair costs for bus window exceeded S$2,700
On Tuesday (16 Dec), Quztaza pleaded guilty to charges including causing hurt by a rash act, committing mischief, and theft.
Five additional charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
The prosecution said his actions were reckless and posed a serious risk to public safety, noting that the bus was carrying many passengers at the time and that the incident resulted in service disruption.
Although the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening, the prosecution stressed that the consequences could have been far more severe.
Repair works for the damaged bus window amounted to about S$2,708, and Quztaza has yet to make any compensation.
Given his prior convictions for offences such as theft and dishonest misappropriation, as well as his reoffending while on bail, the prosecution sought a custodial sentence of seven to eight months.
In mitigation, Quztaza expressed remorse and said he wished to apologise to all parties, especially the victim, and pleaded for leniency.
The judge adjourned the case to 24 Dec for sentencing, noting that the victim had not been informed of the hearing and therefore had no opportunity to apply for compensation.
Also read: Double-decker bus spotted with hole in glass window at Orchard Road, 1 person sent to hospital
Double-decker bus spotted with hole in glass window at Orchard Road, 1 person sent to hospital
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Featured image adapted from 是cc啊 on Xiaohongshu and Singapore Police Force.
