New Zealander in Suntec City fight case surrenders

The New Zealander who jumped bail after being charged with assault at Suntec City in 2010 has turned himself in.

Robert Dahlberg, 35,  was arrested upon his return to Singapore on Thursday and was presented in court on Friday, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a media statement.

In a statement, Dahlberg said that he "voluntarily returned to Singapore on 6 September to face charges relating to an incident on 11 April 2010".

"I return to co-operate fully with the Singapore authorities and abide by the due process of the case before the Singapore courts," the options broker said. He was accompanied by his father Bill Dahlberg.

Dahlberg will face charges for voluntarily causing grevious hurt and a rash act causing hurt under the penal code. He is represented by lead counsel Wendell Wong from Drew & Napier.

The Kiwi was due to face charges in July last year after being allegedly involved in a drunken attack on two taxi drivers and two passenger at Suntec City in April two years ago.

He was granted a $25,000 bail on the condition he return to Singapore for sentencing. However, he did not return on 29 July 2011, and is understood to have travelling to London and Hong Kong. A warrant for his arrest was issued on 12 September that year and he was listed on the Interpol's list of wanted persons.

Two other foreign nationals, an Australian and a Briton, were also charged in court in July last year.

Dahlberg allegedly caused hurt to businessman Laurence Wong Seong, 39, and Paul Louis Liew Kai Ming, 27 by swinging a punch at the former and pushing the latter against a pillar.

Australian Nathan Miller, 36, supposedly punched another cabby in the face and jumped onto the taxi's bonnet. Miller was sentenced to three weeks’ jail in February this year after pleading guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt.

Separately, Briton Robert Springall, 25, allegedly used a taxi without the driver's consent and crashed it. He was also said to have pushed the 58-year-old taxi driver's chest. Springall left and returned to Singapore after his application to leave for the United Kingdom between 25 August and 5 September last year was granted. However, it is unclear if Springall was asked to surrender his passport upon his return.

He left Singapore in December without obtaining court permission and absconded. Springall is still at large and a warrant of arrest has been issued for him.

(Additional reporting by Ang Kaifong)

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