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Man who assaulted SMRT bus driver for missing stop jailed 5 weeks

Lu, a Chinese national, had pleaded guilty to one count of committing a rash act endangering the life of others and one count of voluntarily causing hurt.
Lu DeJiang, 39, also grabbed SMRT Buses driver Deng DaQun’s neck with one hand after the bus driver pulled over at the nearest bus stop. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

Upset that the bus he was on had passed his stop, he shoved the driver’s head while the vehicle was still moving – nearly causing the latter to hit the steering wheel.

Lu DeJiang, 39, also grabbed SMRT Buses driver Deng DaQun’s neck with one hand after the bus driver pulled over at the nearest bus stop.

On Monday (12 November), Lu, a Chinese national, was sentenced to five weeks’ jail. He had pleaded guilty to one count of committing a rash act endangering the life of others and one count of voluntarily causing hurt.

Two counts of voluntarily causing hurt in an unrelated incident were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

Driver didn’t hear bell go off

On 12 November 2016, Deng was driving bus Service 912 in Woodlands when Lu boarded at about 11pm.

Ten minutes later, Deng drove past a bus stop along Woodlands Drive 14 without stopping. When Deng stopped the bus at a traffic junction, he was confronted by Lu who angrily asked the former why he had not stopped.

Deng replied that he had not heard the bus bell ring but Lu insisted that Deng allow him to alight. However, Deng did not do so and instead moved off when the traffic light turned green.

Frustrated, Lu pushed Deng on the left shoulder and back of the head while the bus was in motion, causing Deng’s head to nearly hit the steering wheel.

As he assaulted Deng, Lu repeatedly said that he had pressed the bell multiple times. Deng tried to shift himself away from Lu, finding it difficult to drive due to the disturbance.

He eventually stopped at the next bus stop along Woodlands Drive 14. Lu then forcefully grabbed Deng’s neck.

Several passengers rushed forward to separate Lu from Deng. When Deng called the police on his mobile phone, Lu attempted several times to grab Deng’s wrist to hall the call.

Accused had been drinking

Lu, who was restrained by five or six passengers, was later arrested. He later admitted that he had two consumed bottles of beer before boarding the bus.

Deng sought treatment at the hospital and was found to have redness on his neck and mild tenderness on his neck and chest. He was given one day of medical leave.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lai sought seven weeks’ jail for Lu, pointing out that the accused had grabbed the bus driver by the neck even after the bus had stopped.

Lu’s lawyer, Joel Loh, asked for a fine for the offences or a one-week jail term on each of the two charges to run concurrently. Loh argued that Deng was able to continue driving and had stopped at the bus stop.

His client, who works as a driver, had let his emotions get the better of him and acted on the spur of the moment, said the lawyer.

Loh added that Lu’s actions had taken place over a short period of time. His client was also remorseful over his actions, as seen in how he did not flee the scene when the police were called, said the lawyer.

District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim said that it was fortunate that nothing happened to Deng.

“If anything happened you’re not just endangering the (passengers), you’re endangering yourself,” the judge told Lu.

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