Couple Out For Dinner Caught Up In Brawl Outside Restaurant, Both Taken To Hospital
The recent fight at Clarke Quay would have shocked many Singaporeans due to its ferocity and scale.
In the aftermath, bloodstains could be seen on the walls of the underpass behind the Riverwalk, and people could be seen lying injured.
2 of the people who were injured were an innocent couple out for dinner who were unfortunately caught up in the fight.
Apart from the 5 people arrested over the weekend, 7 more were later arrested by the police, bringing the total number of nabbed suspects to 12.
2 injured people found by police at scene
According to a news release from Singapore Police Force (SPF), they were alerted to the brawl on Saturday (19 Dec) night at about 10.40pm.
When they arrived at the scene, the suspects involved in the fight had fled.
However, they found 2 injured people, the SPF said.
They were a 27-year-old woman and her 36-year-old male companion.
The couple were sent to the Singapore General Hospital in a conscious state.
Couple dining at restaurant when dispute started
According to Lianhe Zaobao, a 27-year-old woman and 36-year-old man were dining at The Tipsy Cow in the Central when the dispute started.
At about 10pm plus that night, someone came into the restaurant and started flipping tables and throwing chairs, shouting at a group of patrons, a staff member told Zaobao.
About 10 people then ran into the restaurant and started fighting with the group of customers.
When the couple saw the fight, they settled their bill and left the restaurant, said the staff member.
Couple caught up in fight outside
Unfortunately, when the man was smoking outside the restaurant, the group that was fighting took their fight outside.
The couple were then caught up in the fight, and injured with a jackknife.
The man suffered head and neck injuries, and ended up lying on the ground.
When medical staff were attending to him, he shouted in pain, with a cigarette still in his mouth.
Nearby, his female counterpart had her arm bandaged by medical staff.
No Tipsy Cow staff were hurt
The Tipsy Cow said in a Facebook post on Sunday (20 Dec) that their staff members were not hurt in the incident.
They’re also open as normal and thanked customers for their concern.
12 arrested in total
A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene and 4 others aged between 21 and 34 were arrested within 16 hours afterwards.
The police said they were conducting a manhunt for other suspects.
Subsequently, the SPF released a latest update on the case on Tuesday (22 Dec).
They said 7 more had been nabbed – 6 men aged between 22 and 31, and a 22-year-old woman.
This brings the total number of people arrested over the incident to 12.
5 accused of rioting with a deadly weapon
Of the 12, 4 were charged in court on Monday (21 Dec) with the offence of rioting with a deadly weapon, the SPF said.
One more man, a 31 year old, will be charged with the same offence on Wednesday (23 Dec).
2 more men, aged 30 and 26, will be charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means on Tuesday (22 Dec) and Wednesday (23 Dec).
4 others, aged between 22 and 30, will be charged with being a member of an unlawful assembly on Tuesday (22 Dec).
The remaining woman is still under investigation.
Keep safe on your night out
It may not be a coincidence that the recent spate of brawls outside night spots have all taken place after 10.30pm, when alcohol is no longer allowed to be served due to safe management measures.
As rules are relaxed in the upcoming Phase 3 and the festive season approaches, more of such drunken brawls may be seen in the coming days.
Do keep safe when you’re on a night out in town, and try not to overdo your drinking.
Hopefully, the couple who were injured in Clarke Quay will have a fast recovery.
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Featured image adapted from Hardware Zone Forum and Google Maps.
