Police NSF given probation for choking staff sergeant while drunk
SINGAPORE — A full-time police national serviceman who was drunk in the early hours of New Year’s Day and assaulted a policeman on duty was on Tuesday (26 November) sentenced to 15 months’ probation.
As part of his sentence, Mohammad Jeffry Lui Azman, 21, will have to perform 80 hours of community service and attend counselling at the Institute of Mental Health’s National Addictions Management Service.
His parents must furnish a bond of $5,000 to ensure his good behaviour.
Jeffry, who served as an assistant training instructor with the police’s Special Operations Command, had said, “Police big f***” to staff sergeant Kenneth Ong Thiam Jun, 31, and challenged him to a fight.
He later choked Ong with both hands for about five seconds.
Jeffry pleaded guilty at the State Courts earlier this month to one charge of causing hurt to a public servant to deter him from discharging his duty.
New Year celebration
At about 1am on 1 January, Jeffry went to Club Nexus at Oriental Plaza with two friends, Wong Bin Sing, 22, and Ong Jian Wei, also 22. The trio shared three towers of beer and a bottle of Martell.
At about 3.30am, they left the club to smoke outside Oriental Plaza. Also smoking at the same area were three others: Noel Teo Jun Wei, 18, Tan Hong Ming, 20, and Jordan Tang Wei Jun, also 20.
While Wong was smoking and talking to Ong Jian Wei, Jeffry went up to Teo, Tan and Tang and started mumbling incoherently while staring at Tang.
Jeffry became agitated and raised his right fist at Tang. Wong pulled Jeffry away while Ong Jian Wei told Teo, Tan and Tang that Jeffry was drunk and apologised for his behaviour.
The commotion caught the attention of four police officers who had been deployed to maintain law and order at Oriental Plaza, and ensure that partygoers at various clubs left the building in a peaceful and orderly manner.
The officers separated the two groups. At about 4am, Jeffry suddenly became agitated and shouted at staff sergeant Kenneth Ong Thiam Jun, challenging him to a fight.
Jeffry continued to behave aggressively and tried moving towards the officer, but Wong and Ong Jian Wei held him back.
Jeffry managed to eventually break free from his friends and charged towards the on-duty police officer. He tried to push the policeman’s chest, but the latter managed to push the assailant’s hands away.
Jeffry then pushed Kenneth Ong Thiam Jun on his shoulder and grabbed hold of the policeman’s elbows. A struggle ensued and the latter managed to break free from Jeffry.
In the midst of the struggle, both men fell onto the ground, with Kenneth Ong Thiam Jun landing on his back and Jeffry on top of him. Jeffry then used both hands to choke the policeman for about five seconds.
A female volunteer police inspector tried to pull Jeffry away but she was unable to overpower him alone. Together with two other volunteer police officers - a female senior station inspector and a male sergeant - Jeffry was later pulled away and arrested.
Kenneth Ong Thiam Jun received two days of medical leave.
The maximum punishment for causing hurt to a public servant to deter him from discharging his duty is up to seven years’ jail, along with a fine and caning.
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