SINGAPORE — After being caught smoking in a coffee shop at Eunos, Tan Ah Keng swung a beer bottle at an officer from the National Environment Agency (NEA), causing her to trip and fall.

The 57-year-old hawker assistant was sentenced to 11 weeks’ jail on Monday (July 13) for his actions.

He pleaded guilty in a district court as well to causing hurt to another NEA officer, with a second charge of using criminal force on the first officer taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that on Sept 19, 2018, three NEA officers were on their enforcement rounds at the coffee shop located at Block 7, Eunos Crescent.

One of them noticed Tan smoking there and alerted his colleagues, who approached Tan. They identified themselves as NEA officers and told him that he was smoking in a prohibited area before asking for his particulars.

Tan refused to give them the details but handed over his National Identity Registration Card after he was told that they might alert the police if he did not cooperate.

One of them then keyed in his details on an iPad, printed out a notice for him to attend court and handed it to him.

Tan then asked them to give him a chance before picking up a beer bottle from a nearby table and swinging it at one of the officers. She screamed and ran, but tripped and fell.

Her colleague tried to hold onto Tan to stop him but Tan struck the other man on the cheek with his hand, leaving him with a superficial laceration. He then pinned Tan to the ground.

Tan’s lawyer, Ms Wang Shi Mei, told the court in mitigation that he was a “simple man” who earns S$1,200 a month. 

She had been assigned to him through the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, which showed that he is of limited means, the lawyer added.

“The incident arose because of a moment of impulse or folly. He pleaded for a second chance but (they did not accede to his request)… that caused him to feel very distraught and upset, which led him to commit the offences for which he is now deeply remorseful,” Ms Wang said.

For causing hurt to a public servant, Tan could have been jailed up to seven years, fined, caned, or any combination of the three, though offenders aged 50 or above cannot be caned by law.