Teen who was high on meth slipped hand out of handcuffs, bit cop
SINGAPORE — A 17 year old who was high on methamphetamine struggled to escape from custody after being apprehended, slipped a hand out of a pair of handcuffs and assaulted a policeman, a court heard.
The perpetrator bit the officer, a full-time national serviceman, on his arm and chest, and left the officer with numbness over the left side of his body after a struggle.
The cop was later diagnosed with spinal cord injury but made a full recovery by the time he was discharged from hospital two days later. He received 30 days of hospitalisation leave.
At the State Courts on Thursday (19 November), the teen pleaded guilty to one charge each of drug consumption and causing grievous hurt to a public servant.
The culprit, who cannot be named due to his age, is expected to be sentenced next week, pending reports on his suitability for probation and reformative training.
Appeared nervous with bloodshot eyes
On 5 August, two policemen, including the victim, were on foot patrol at Block 90 Redhill Close. They entered the lift on the seventh floor at about 1.50pm and saw the teen and his cousin inside.
During the ride to the ground floor, the officers noticed that the duo looked nervous and had bloodshot eyes. The teen’s cousin was also holding a small brown box in his hand.
The officers checked the box and found drug-taking utensils. They arrested the duo inside the lift.
When the lift reached the ground floor, the officers told the duo to sit on the floor with their backs against a wall.
As a search was being conducted on the teen’s cousin, the teen managed to stand up and tried to run away. But the victim grabbed hold of the teen and pinned him on the floor.
“The victim instructed the accused to stop struggling, but he did not comply and again attempted to run away,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Hsiao Tien.
“The victim managed to pull the accused back down. During the struggle, the accused managed to slip one of his hands out from the handcuff. The accused also bit the victim on his left arm and left chest in an attempt to escape custody. Police back-up arrived shortly thereafter,” he added.
The culprit’s urine samples tested positive for methamphetamine. He admitted smoking the drug in a toilet at Sun Plaza Park in Tampines the previous day and said it was the sixth occasion he consumed the drug.
The victim was sent to Alexandra Hospital with significantly reduced strength on his left limbs with absence of reflexes. CT scans of his brain and spine showed no abnormalities.
He was transferred to the National University Hospital the same day for further evaluation by an orthopaedic surgeon. An MRI scan of the whole spine also did not show any abnormalities. The victim gradually improved his strength the following day and was diagnosed with a spinal cord injury without abnormalities on medical imaging. He made a complete recovery by the time he was discharged on 7 August.
For his drug consumption charge, the teen faces a jail term of between one and 10 years.
The maximum punishment for causing grievous hurt to a public servant to deter him from the discharge of his duty is up to 15 years’ jail along with a fine and caning.
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