SINGAPORE, Feb 25 — A man who assaulted a taxi driver after quarrelling with his fiancée in the back of the vehicle was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment on Wednesday.
The court heard that 53 year old Singaporean Phay Jet Loon attacked the driver while the taxi was travelling along the Central Expressway, forcing the victim to swerve across several lanes to the road shoulder, CNA reported.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Daniel Foo told the court: “In summary, this was an unjustified and sustained attack on a vulnerable ... class of victims, to a vulnerable part of the victim’s body, and the victim himself was also in a vulnerable position of limited mobility.”
Phay’s lawyer, Thomas Tham, told the court that his client had been drinking with his fiancée and was intoxicated. He said the pair began quarrelling and the taxi driver intervened, which led to the incident between Phay and the victim.
The incident took place shortly after midnight on May 27, 2025, when the couple boarded a ComfortDelGro taxi from Circular Road.
According to CNA, the driver, a 66 year old man, was assaulted after telling the pair to stop fighting. Phay kicked the seat, punched the driver’s neck and choked him for about 10 seconds. The victim later sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with a neck sprain.
Phay made restitution of about S$159 for the driver’s medical expenses. He has a previous conviction for voluntarily causing hurt in 2001.
Judge Shen Wanqin said a custodial sentence was necessary to deter similar attacks on public transport workers, describing the incident as a sustained assault with disregard for safety. Phay was allowed to defer his sentence to make caregiving arrangements for his elderly mother.
Under Singapore law, voluntarily causing hurt carries a maximum penalty of three years’ jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
