'Give me your address... I will definitely kill you': Man fined for threatening police officer, attacking friend

SINGAPORE — After getting drunk at a restaurant in Cuppage Plaza, Sim Hui Chun got into a quarrel with his friend whom he was sharing drinks with and later assaulted him.

He also threatened the police officer who tried to interview him after the incident. 

The 34-year-old was fined S$3,000 after pleaded guilty on Wednesday (Sept 28) to two charges — using abusive words towards a public servant, as well as causing nuisance in public while drunk. 

He had five charges brought against him and the prosecution proceeded with two. If Sim is unable to pay the S$3,000 fine, he will be jailed for nine days. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ryan Lim told the court that on the night of July 1 last year, after Sim got drunk, he “briefly assaulted” his friend. 

Customers of the restaurant immediately tried to stop Sim and called the police. 

When the police arrived around 25 minutes later, two officers tried to interview Sim outside the restaurant.

However, Sim was uncooperative and threatened one of the officers, saying in Mandarin: “Sir, you give me your address, if I can kill you, I will definitely kill you.” 

A few minutes later, Sim tried to take off the same officer’s face mask with both his hands. Face masks had to be worn at most places as part of Covid-19 regulations at the time.

DPP Lim told the court that the officer got annoyed when his mask was taken off by Sim. Sim was later handcuffed and arrested.

Sim’s actions were captured by a camera worn on the officer’s body and a video of the dispute between Sim and the police officers was played in court.

The man’s lawyer, Mr Si Hoe Tat Chorng, told the court that Sim was in his “prime of life” and that all of his offences were related directly or indirectly to his unemployment. 

A medical report by the Singapore General Hospital in February this year showed that Sim had been receiving psychiatric care related to the loss of his job. It is not known what job he used to hold.

Mr Si Hoe added that Sim’s aggressive behaviour towards his friend was a result of his friend’s repeated teasing about Sim’s unemployment. 

Regarding Sim’s threat to the police officer, Mr Si Hoe said: “The threat that we saw did not appear pre-mediated and the words in Mandarin were somewhat elaborate. They appeared dramatic and theatrical to me. They were not a direct, 'I will kill you'."

Mr Si Hoe also noted that Sim had calmed down almost immediately after that and he did not strike the police officer. 

For causing public nuisance while drunk in a public place, Sim could have been fined up to S$1,000 or jailed up to six months, or both. 

For using abusive words against a public servant, Sim could have been fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up to 12 months, or both.