A 70-year-old man pleaded guilty in court on Wednesday (31 July) to charges related to a road rage incident in Bedok.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported that the incident occurred on 5 March 2023 at around 7.40pm near the junction of Bedok North Road and New Upper Changi Road.
Source: Google Maps
Singaporean Chua Jin Leong, who was driving in the left lane next to a taxi, signalled to merge into the right lane.
However, footage presented in court showed that the taxi driver continued straight, causing a collision between the side mirrors of both vehicles.
The 65-year-old taxi driver, surnamed Tai, exited his vehicle and approached Chua through his window.
Tai then moved to the side to photograph both vehicles, prompting Chua to get out of his car as well.
The two drivers began gesturing at each other, and during the altercation, Chua pushed Tai.
In response, Tai called the police for assistance, which further escalated the situation.
Chua then pushed Tai backwards along the road and into a nearby area.
CNA’s report noted that Tai began “prancing around” in front of Chua while shaking his head from side to side.
In response to Tai’s actions, Chua became agitated and grabbed Tai by the neck, groping the latter’s private parts in the process.
Following the incident, Tai sought medical attention at a hospital due to tenderness in his scrotum and upper back.
He was subsequently granted four days of medical leave to recover from the ordeal.
In court, the prosecutor highlighted that Chua had assaulted a vulnerable area of Tai’s body and pushed him onto a road with ongoing traffic.
The defence, however, argued that Tai’s actions involved “significant provocation,” which they claimed mitigated Chua’s responsibility.
They pointed out that Tai had threatened to call the police and made “monkey faces” at Chua.
The prosecutor sought a jail term of three to four weeks for Chua, contending that the defence’s claims did not sufficiently justify or mitigate Chua’s actions in response to Tai’s provocation.
Chua’s sentencing has been adjourned to later this month.
Also read: Bus driver gets into dispute with cyclist who allegedly hogged lane in Yishun
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