• Marco Paulo Goncalves Guimaraes had gone with his wife to pick up their daughter
• A private-hire car driver behind him sounded his horn
• The pair began arguing, with Guimaraes using vulgarities at the driver and kicking him
• Guimaraes only put on his face mask when the driver began filming him with his mobile phone

SINGAPORE — A 43-year-old man was jailed three weeks and fined S$1,000 on Thursday (June 10) for assaulting a private-hire car driver, as well as not wearing a face mask during part of the argument.

Marco Paulo Goncalves Guimaraes, a Singapore permanent resident from Portugal, pleaded guilty to one charge each of voluntarily causing hurt and breaching Covid-19 laws by failing to wear a face mask at all times.

He was also ordered to compensate the victim S$122.20 for his medical fees.

The incident took place on June 11 last year, when the country had entered the first phase of its reopening after a circuit breaker period where most activities were halted.

Around 1pm that day, private-hire car driver Desmond Wu was driving along Punggol Drive — a two-lane road — when Guimaraes overtook him and appeared to brake abruptly.

Mr Wu managed to overtake him, then sounded his horn and gestured at him.

Guimaraes drove quickly to catch up with Mr Wu again and both men eventually stopped side-by-side at the loading bay of Block 670A Edgefield Plains in Punggol.

Guimaraes alighted without a mask on and walked over to Mr Wu’s car, just as the other man was alighting. He then pushed the car door against Mr Wu, which hit the driver's right shin.

Guimaraes proceeded to grab Mr Wu’s wrist and began arguing with him. When Mr Wu managed to get out of his car, Guimaraes pushed him again and shouted vulgarities.

He only put on his mask when Mr Wu began filming him with his mobile phone.

He continued advancing towards Mr Wu before slapping him over the side of his head and pushing him on his arm.

Guimaraes returned to his car and parked at the loading bay. Mr Wu followed suit and called the police.

When they both alighted again, Guimaraes approached him and kicked him on his left shin. Police officers arrived shortly after.

Mr Wu went to Sengkang General Hospital and was diagnosed with superficial bruising and swelling, as well as outer ear swelling.

In mitigation, Guimaraes’ lawyer Marshall Lim told the court that Guimaraes and his wife were on the way to pick their daughter up from school. 

Mr Lim said that due to heavy traffic from parents doing the same, Guimaraes had “driven slowly and carefully” from the slip road onto Edgefield Plains, but was not aware that Mr Wu was driving behind him.

When Mr Wu sounded his horn, Guimaraes also thought that he had raised his middle finger, so he decided to catch up to Mr Wu to ask why he made the gesture.

“Regrettably, tempers flared, and our client committed acts that he regrets deeply. However, our client did not leave the scene at any point and waited for the police to arrive,” the lawyer added. 

Guimaraes had come to Singapore in 2004, founding a sports management agency and becoming a licensed players’ agent for Fifa, the international football governing body. He also helped to set up a football club in Portugal.

While he was scouting for talent in Malaysia and Singapore who could play in Portugal, the Covid-19 pandemic ruined any recruitment opportunities he could have pursued, Mr Lim added.

For voluntarily causing hurt, Guimaraes could have been jailed for up to three years or fined up to S$5,000, or both.

For failing to wear a face mask, he could have been fined up to S$10,000 or jailed for up to six months, or both.