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Rider who swerved e-scooter at man in community club fined $2,500

Yahoo News Singapore file photo
Yahoo News Singapore file photo

Upset that a man asked him to stop riding his e-scooter in a community club, a 38-year-old part-time tutor later tried to hit the man with his e-scooter.

Chew Hup Seng, the e-scooter rider, was fined $2,500 on Wednesday (5 September) after he pleaded guilty to one count of committing a rash act to endanger the personal safety of Pedro JR Garcia Mondejar, an architectural coordinator who was working at Keat Hong Community Club (CC) at the time.

A charge against Chew for using expletives and abusive behaviour towards Mondejar was taking into consideration.

On 24 July 2017, at around 10am, Chew rode his e-scooter into the multi-purpose hall on the fifth floor of the CC. He rode around the hall, catching the attention of Mondejar, whose office was in the CC.

Mondejar came out of his office to politely ask Chew to stop riding his e-scooter, said the prosecution. He was concerned that the e-scooter would damage the hall’s timber flooring.

Chew was unhappy with Mondejar and asked for his identity. He then verbally abused Mondejar before riding off on his e-scooter, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Chong, who added that Mondejar had not provoked Chew.

A few minutes later, Mondejar was walking towards the lift lobby through the hall when Chew, who was riding down the corridor, saw him from a distance. As Mondejar was about to enter the lobby through a glass door, Chew “rashly swerved” his e-scooter towards Mondejar and collided with him, said the DPP. The incident was captured by CCTV.

Mondejar managed to avoid injury by blocking the e-scooter with his palms. Chew then told Mondejar, “If you want, I bang you with my scooter” while gesturing aggressively at him. He followed Mondejar around the lobby for some time before leaving the CC.

DPP Chong sought the maximum fine of $2,500, saying that Chew was riding his device in a place he “clearly was not allowed to”. He added that Chew’s action was rash and that he committed it out of animosity.

Chew’s lawyer, Tan Jin Song, said that his client’s riding speed could not have been high as he was in a confined space.

For his offence, Chew could have been jailed up to six months and/or fined a maximum $2,500.

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