Frenchman jailed three months and fined $2,000 for abusing police officers

While having a night out at Orchard Road, an intoxicated and raucous Frenchman rained abuse on plainclothes police officers who asked him to lower his voice and leave the location. He even punched one of the officers on the chin.

After being arrested, Marc Escriva Casanova Demosthene, 26, continued his drunken tirade, directing it at a police officer who drove him to the police station. He later headbutted the officer while the latter was trying to help him loosen his handcuffs.

Demosthene, who is in Singapore on an internship for his Masters programme, was sentenced to three months’ jail and fined $2,000 for his offences. He pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant discharging his duty and one count of insulting a public servant. Three other charges of insulting a public servant were taken into consideration for sentencing.

According to the prosecution, Demosthene was outside Delfi Orchard creating a scene by talking loudly around 5.15am on 23 October last year. Demosthene, who appeared drunk, attracted the attention of plainclothes police officers who had their passes and warrant cards with them.

The officers approached Demosthene, identified themselves and told him to lower his voice and leave the location. However, Demosthene continued his behaviour. The prosecution noted that Demosthene “made disparaging remarks about Singaporeans in general”.

The intoxicated man started using expletives on the police officers and shoved a female inspector who moved back instinctively. As a result, Demosthene’s fingers touched the inspector’s collarbone. The officers warned him not to use force and two officers held Demosthene’s arm lightly on each side to prevent him from using further force.

Some 10 minutes later, Demosthene punched a male police sergeant on his chin. The officers then arrested Demosthene, who struggled throughout the incident. Another female sergeant who asked him about his immigration status in Singapore was also insulted by him.

At around 6am, Demosthene was brought to Tanglin Police Divisional Headquarters in a police vehicle driven by Sergeant Sim Yee Ching. On the way, Demosthene rained a barrage of insults on the officer, including abuse on his family, his driving skills and the way the officer spoke.

While in a room at the police HQ, Sergeant Sim was loosening Demosthene’s handcuffs when the latter used the front of his head to hit the officer on his left temple. Sergeant Sim was later diagnosed with a minor head injury at the Accident & Emergency Department of Changi General Hospital and given one day of medical leave.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jason Nim sought at least three months’ imprisonment on each of causing hurt to a public officer and at least a high fine for the charge of insulting a public officer.

Citing a media report which stated that there were 328 cases of abuse on Home Team officers in the first eight months of 2016, and 344 cases in 2015, the DPP said that this worked out to almost one case per day. He said that the prevalence of verbal and physical abuse on police officers warranted a deterrent sentence.

DPP Nim added that the headbutt on Sergeant Sim occurred under “reprehensible circumstances” as the officer was in the midst of loosening Demosthene’s handcuffs for the Frenchman’s comfort when he was attacked.

“Instead of repaying the kindness extended to him, [Demosthene] became violent and attacked Sergeant Sim,” he said. The DPP noted that Demosthene physically attacked three police officers and verbally abused at least three others. The insults also had a “high level of vitriol”, he added.

In mitigation, Demosthene’s lawyer Chung Ping Shen said that his client was out with his rugby mates celebrating a victory when the incident happened. Chung said that the identity of the police officers was lost on Demosthene, who was in a drunken stupor. The lawyer submitted a recommendation letter from his client’s school, Kedge Business School in France, as part of the mitigation.

Chung said that his client has a bright future and that the “unfortunate series of incidents came about as a result of [Demosthene] being in a state of intoxication”. He added that his client was remorseful and asked for a lenient sentence.

District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim described Demosthene’s offences as “totally inexcusable”.

For insulting a public servant on duty, Demosthene could have been jailed up to 12 months and/or fined $5,000. For causing hurt to a public servant on duty, he could have been jailed up to seven years and/or fined and/or caned.