Driver in road rage incident hit his own body and then alleged assault

SINGAPORE — A private hire driver who got involved in a road rage accident hit his own body and then called the police to allege that he had been assaulted by another road user, a court heard.

While waiting for the police, Chua Chee Beng, 48, also assaulted the other driver, punching and kicking the latter’s face, head and neck.

At the State Courts on Tuesday (9 June), the culprit was jailed for eight weeks after he pleaded guilty to one charge of causing hurt.

Two other charges – for giving false information to a public servant and causing alarm via threatening words – were considered in sentencing.

Culprit hit his own stomach and face, then called the police

On 28 November last year, the victim Yeo Choon Seng, 40, was driving his lorry along the Central Expressway (CTE) towards Tuas in the right-most lane when Chua cut into his lane from the left at about 4.20pm.

Yeo slowed down and also sounded his horn at Chua.

About five minutes later, while Chua was driving along the second lane, Yeo drove up to Chua’s car. Yeo gestured to Chua that he had almost crashed into the lorry earlier.

Chua then drove to the road shoulder and parked his car there while Yeo parked his lorry in front of the car. Chua disconnected his in-vehicle camera and alighted. Yeo also alighted and the duo had an argument.

“During the dispute, the victim informed the accused that he was going to call the police,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Yeo.

“Upon hearing that, the accused started hitting his own stomach and face, and told the victim that he was going to call for the police as well to inform them that the victim had assaulted him,” the prosecutor added.

Chua called the police hotline and said, “I was hit by a man. He come down from the lorry and hit me using hands. My mouth injured. Lorry driver still here. I at road shoulder now.”

About five minutes later, Yeo called the police hotline and said, “Somebody want to hit me. He pushed me two times. When I called the police, he start hitting himself and wants to act like I hit him. I don’t need ambulance...I drive lorry. I alighted from my vehicle already”.

Culprit assaulted lorry driver

Afterwards, Chua walked back to his car. “As the victim believed that the accused was going to tamper with his own in-vehicle camera, the victim took a photograph of the accused,” said the prosecutor.

Chua saw Yeo taking a photo of him and confronted the victim again.

The perpetrator punched the victim once in the face, before threatening him in Hokkien, “How dare you take a picture of me? I am not scared of the police, the most I go inside and sleep. When I come out, I will find you”.

The prosecutor said, “The accused then took a picture of the victim, and started assaulting him by punching and kicking his head and neck, intending to cause hurt to the victim, while further insulting the victim in Hokkien. The victim did not retaliate despite the accused daring him to do so.”

Chua only stopped assaulting Yeo when the police arrived at about 4.40pm. The perpetrator was then arrested.

Yeo was given six days of medical leave due to pain in the right knee from the assault.

The prosecutor asked for at least 10 weeks’ jail, noting, among other things, that Chua had “attempted to deceive the police into believing that the victim was the aggressor, and that he himself had been assaulted”.

In mitigation, Chua, who did not have a lawyer, told District Judge Kan Shuk Weng that he had acted on impulse. “I will control myself better from now on,” he pleaded.

The judge allowed Chua, who has previous convictions for theft and aggravated robbery, to defer serving his jail term till Friday. Chua had asked for the deferment, saying his mother suffered a stroke because of his court case and that he needed to make caregiving arrangements.

The maximum punishment for assault is up to two years’ jail and a fine of up to $5,000.

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