Dog owner fined for fighting with man who asked him to move his pets at HDB lift lobby

SINGAPORE — A 59-year-old man was fined S$2,000 on Monday (Dec 6) for fighting with another man who had asked him to move his pet dogs because the latter’s wife was afraid of the animals. 

Not only did Ng Lai Beng refuse to move his two canines further away from a lift door to allow Mr Lee Muhammad Johan Razali Lee and his wife to exit, he also got into a verbal and physical altercation with Mr Lee over the request.

Ng, who worked as a business development manager, pleaded guilty in a district court to one affray charge. Two other similar charges, including using criminal force, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Mr Lee, 35, was issued a conditional warning over the scuffle, which means he has to remain crime-free for a certain period of time. If he re-offends, he can be prosecuted for the original crime.

The court heard that on June 27, Ng and his wife were waiting for the lift at the ground floor of a Housing and Development Board block along Fernvale Road in Sengkang with their leashed dogs.

When the lift door opened, Mr Lee asked Ng to move the dogs further away because his wife had a fear of dogs.

Ng did not do so after assessing that there was sufficient room for the couple to walk through.

The two men began arguing heatedly before Ng pushed Mr Lee on the chest. He then handed the dogs over to his wife and punched the other man’s face, which led to them pushing and punching each other.

Ng’s wife called the police, saying her husband’s nose was bleeding. Police officers went to the scene and arrested the two men.

While in the lockup area at the Woodlands Police Division headquarters, the duo were examined by a doctor and found to have suffered minor injuries such as abrasions and a superficial scratch.

In mitigation, Ng — who did not have a lawyer — told the court that Mr Lee had kept scolding them upon seeing the dogs.

He committed the offence in a “moment of impulse” and truly regretted his actions, he added. He previously worked as a private-hire car driver, but business was poor and he had suffered financial losses.

If he cannot pay the fine, he has to serve a week behind bars.

For disturbing the public peace by fighting in a public place, Ng could have been fined up to S$5,000 or jailed for up to a year, or punished with both.