Woman who hit mother and verbally abused police officer given mandatory treatment order
A woman who punched her mother and yelled expletives at a police officer during a family row was sentenced to a two-year mandatory treatment order (MTO) on Wednesday (16 April).
Cheryl Sng Yu Qin, 33, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of causing hurt to her mother, one count of using abusive language on a public servant and one count of voluntarily obstructing a public servant. Five charges of a similar nature, including two counts of assaulting her 68-year-old father and 59-year-old and mother, were taken into consideration for her sentencing.
An MTO is given to offenders with mental conditions which have contributed to the commitment of offences. Instead of a jail term, Sng will undergo psychiatric treatment for two years.
On 11 May last year, Sng was arguing with her mother when her father called the police.
Staff Sergeant Ng Yong Shen Gerald and a partner later arrived at the flat where the family lived. As Ng approached Sng’s mother, Sng hit her mother on the back with her left hand.
When Ng asked Sng what she was doing, the woman replied, “I am hitting my mom.” Ng tried to calm Sng down but she yelled expletives at him, telling him to “F*** off right now”. She also told Ng, “Sue me on the word ‘f***’ and see who wins.”
Ng asked Sng for her particulars but she refused to comply. Sng went to her room to cool down at the officer’s instructions.
Later, while Ng was recording a statement from Sng’s mother, Sng heard her mother reveal her particulars to the officer. Upset, she left her room, snatched the statement from Ng and tore it up.
Last month, Sng’s lawyer Muntaz Zainuddin asked the judge to call for an MTO suitability report, without revealing details of any mental condition.
For voluntarily causing hurt, Sng could have been jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000. For verbally abusing a police officer, she could have been jailed for up to a year and fined up to $5,000.
