Fitness instructor who assaulted cabby, broke beautician's nose jailed

A fitness instructor who drunkenly assaulted two people in separate incidents was jailed six and a half months on Thursday (5 July).

Herman Mas’ood’s attacks left 38-year-old beautician Zheng Xiao Yin with a fractured nose and 35-year-old taxi driver Riskandar Roslan with hearing loss in his right ear. He also stole the beautician’s handbag after abusing her.

The 32-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt, one count of voluntarily causing hurt and one count of theft.

One charge of defacing the beautician’s identity card and another of committing mischief by causing damage to the cabby’s vehicle was considered for his sentencing.

Violent drunk

The court heard that at around 7am on 17 December 2015, Herman boarded at taxi with two women at Orchard Towers. Roslan, the taxi’s driver, told the women that his card payment terminal was not working.

When the taxi arrived at Hotel 81 Lavender, Herman – who was intoxicated from a night of drinking – handed Riskandar a card to pay for the ride. Upon being told that the terminal was not working, Herman grew upset and began hurling expletives at Riskandar. He also struck the headrest of the cabby’s seat.

At the request of the two women, Riskandar drove around to look for an ATM but could not find one. By this time, Riskandar had planned to head to the Rochor Neighbourhood Police Centre as Herman was behaving aggressively.

However, while stopped at a traffic junction along Lavender Street, Herman alighted with the women. Herman then kicked the taxi’s passenger door and driver’s window. He asked Riskandar to alight from the taxi and kicked the side mirror when taxi driver did not comply.

When Riskandar wound down his window to ask Herman what his problem was, Herman punched the former on the right ear and head. Herman’s second blow caused Riskandar to momentarily black out.

After Riskandar regained consciousness, Herman threw a third punch at him, which he blocked. Riskandar wound up the window and called the police after Herman kicked the taxi’s side mirror, causing it to break off.

A while later, Herman left the scene and boarded another taxi with Riskandar trailing behind in his own vehicle. When Herman noticed Riskandar trailing him, he headed to Rochor NPC and lodged a report against the taxi driver. Riskandar also gave the police his statement.

A witness who was in another car at the junction witnessed and recorded the incident.

Riskandar was conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he was found to have conductive hearing loss. He was still suffering from poor hearing in a report dated 31 January this year.

At around 5.40am on 1 July 2016, Herman visited Zheng’s shop at Orchard Towers for a massage and facial services after having drinks at a pub in the building.

About half an hour later, a dispute broke out between the two during which Zheng threw Herman’s bag out of the shop. Herman picked up his belongings before returning to the shop and punching Zheng on the left eye and nose.

When Zheng fell to the ground, Herman kicked her several times in the face before grabbing her bag and running off with it. The bag, worth $200, contained $800 cash, Zheng’s identity card and her POSB ATM card, two EZ link cards, as well as a pair of earrings worth $315.

Herman also defaced Zheng’s identity card by burning it the next day.

The attack left Zheng with a fracture on her nose, blood clots in her nostrils, a black eye, swelling and tenderness on her left chin and jaw and tenderness on her neck.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Daphne Lim sought seven months’ jail for Herman, whom she said had assaulted a public transport worker.

Referring to the incident with Zheng, DPP Lim said, “Compared to (Herman), (Zheng) was disadvantaged – (Herman) was a male and a fitness instructor.”

Lim added that Herman had assaulted Zheng several times and “to add insult to injury”, made off with Zheng’s bag.

For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, Herman could have been jailed up to 10 years, and fined or caned.

More Singapore stories:

Singapore police seize $1.25 million in cash from raids over illegal World Cup betting

Twin sisters who crashed wedding, stole from newlyweds, jailed

Drunk man who beat up taxi driver jailed 12 weeks