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Australian businessman who molested restaurant staff, assaulted police officer jailed, fined

(Yahoo News Singapore file photo)
(Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

An Australian businessman who harassed patrons at a Robertson Walk restaurant, molested the establishment’s female manager and later assaulted a police officer was jailed three months and fined $6,500 on Monday (28 May).

Jones Scott Ingram, 43, was convicted in the State Courts on three charges: two for hurting and insulting a police officer and one for molestation.

Court documents showed that Ingram had visited the restaurant with a friend on the night of 17 August last year. Ingram’s friend left the eatery after the pair finished two bottles of wine and Ingram ordered another bottle for himself.

He then began harassing other patrons at the restaurant, to the point that the eatery’s 32-year-old female manager warned him that she would call the police if he continued to misbehave.

As she turned away, Ingram reached out and squeezed her buttocks in plain view of the restaurant’s patrons and staff.

The police were called to the scene and Ingram proved to be uncooperative when they arrived. He hurled vulgarities at the officers and kicked the left shin of one officer who moved to arrest him.

Ingram later head-butted the same officer as he was being led to the police car. The officer was give one day’s medical leave for a bruised lip and shin.

The 10-minute trip to the Tanglin Police Division headquarters was also marked by Ingram’s continued use of expletives and insults on the officers.

Ingram, who started a business here in February 2016, received three months’ jail for assaulting the officer and a $2,500 fine for insulting him. For molesting the restaurant manager, he was handed a $4,000 fine.

He could have been jailed up to seven years, fined, caned, or received any combination of the punishments, for causing hurt to a public servant. For the use of vulgarities on a public servant, Ingram could have been jailed up to 12 months, fined up to $5,000 or both.

For outraging the modesty of a woman, he could also have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or have been handed any combination of the punishments.