Woman pleads guilty to assaulting taxi driver along Bishan Road
A 35-year-old Singaporean woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday (25 May) to one charge of voluntarily hurt to a taxi driver.
According to the statement of facts (SOF), Michelle Ja’quinn Wang Ying Xin assaulted 37-year-old cabbie Pan Chung Woh while she was in his vehicle on 30 December 2015.
Deputy public prosecutor Stephanie Koh said that Wang, who was self-employed at the time, was leaving her friend’s home at Pheng Gek Avenue at about 12.35am. She had booked Pan’s taxi for her journey home.
She had earlier consumed two or three glasses of wine and was helped into the taxi by three of her friends. The trio informed Pan that Wang was sober and that they were going upstairs to take their wallets.
While waiting for Wang’s friends to return, she told Pan that she was all right and asked him to drive her to Sin Ming Road. Before driving off, Pan asked Wang how she was feeling and she again said that she was feeling all right.
Assault along Bishan Road
At about 12.50am, Pan pulled over along Bishan Road and asked Wang for directions to Sing Ming Road.
Wang, who was seated in the taxi’s rear left passenger seat, suddenly kicked the left side of Pan’s face. She attempted to kick the cabbie a second time, but Pan was able to dodge the blow.
Wang then pulled Pan’s head towards her before scratching his head and face. As Pan tried to stop the assault, Wang bit him on his left arm.
Pan then decided to drive his taxi to the Bishan Neighbourhood Police Centre to seek help. Wang, who was still in the back seat continued her assault and managed to bite Pan on his left arm again.
As his taxi was approaching a nearby carpark, Pan spotted another taxi and sought help from the driver. He stopped his vehicle and as he was about to alight, Wang ran out from Pan’s taxi and dashed into the second taxi where she proceeded to sit in the front passenger seat.
An eyewitness who saw the commotion called for the police. When the police arrived at 1.11am, they found Wang seated at the front passenger seat of the second taxi.
Despite being told by the officers to calm down, Wang remained uncooperative. She was eventually arrested by the officers.
Pressing for a jail term of eight weeks, the prosecution pointed out that Pan had suffered multiple scratches to his scalp and forehead. Pan also suffered abrasions over his nose and right cheek, and had to be given an anti-tetanus toxoid to counter any potential infection of his injuries.
Shocked by her own actions
In mitigation, Wang’s lawyer Ashwin Ganapathy said that she was sorry for her actions and that she was shocked by her own behaviour.
“When we read the SOF to her during one of our meeting, she was shocked and troubled that she was capable of doing such things to another person.
“She maintains that there is no excuse for her behaviour and had since stopped consuming alcohol,” said Ashwin, who asked for a four-week jail term.
District Judge Brenda Tan adjourned the hearing to 15 June for sentencing.
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