Drunk British tourist who verbally abused, threatened policeman jailed one week

SINGAPORE — A drunken tourist’s expletive-ridden spiel to a policeman which included threats such as “I’ll f***ing kill you” and “wait till I slap you in the face”, and a reminder that he was a British citizen, has landed him in jail for a week.

Briton Hasan Mustafa, 24, who was on the fifth day of a visit here, lashed out verbally while he was being escorted back to the police station after being arrested at about 12.20am on Oct 3 for causing public nuisance at Clarke Quay.

On Wednesday (Nov 6), Hasan pleaded guilty to one charge of conducting himself in a manner to cause annoyance while drunk, and two charges of using abusive language on a police officer.

After having several alcoholic drinks at Club Crazy Elephant at close to midnight, he removed his shirt and raised a wooden chair, swinging it around before throwing it on the floor. He then aggressively confronted patrons of the club.

When two security executives tried to stop Hasan, he reached for a bin cover but was pinned down first.

Hasan was fined S$800 in relation to the charge of causing annoyance while drunk. The one-week jail term related to his abusive language towards a police officer.

While being escorted to Tanglin Police Division in a police car, he was seated in a rear passenger seat beside Sergeant Kesava Raj Supaiah when he cursed at the policeman despite receiving several warnings regarding his conduct.

In the car, over seven minutes, Hasan made statements, including:

• “You’re a rabid dog.”

• “I’m a f***ing British citizen, you boys are going to get f***ed over if you didn’t f***ing listen to me right now…''

• “If I can get my hands free, you’re f***ing dead right now. You f***ing little wet one.”

He also offered to pay the sergeant to be released but backed down after the police officer warned him twice that it would be an offence.

When they arrived at the police division at about 12.35am, he turned “more aggressive and uncooperative”, and started using abusive and vulgar words again, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Shen Wanqin noted.

Among his statements to police: “I’m going to get my lawyer and sue your f***ing a**. They are going to f***ing put you in prison. If you don’t let me out, they are going to put you in prison… If you don’t let me out, you are all going to prison.”

All of Hasan’s acts were captured on camera, and the video footage was played before the judge on Wednesday. They amounted to contraventions under the Protection from Harassment Act, that could have landed Hasan in jail for up to 12 months on top of a fine of up to S$5,000.

Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu, acting for Hasan, stressed that his client had co-operated with the police after he sobered up and came to be “utterly remorseful” of what he had done, noting that his actions are “out of character”.

Mr Singh urged the court to consider that Hasan had not broken the law before, as well as his involvement in charity work that helps young individuals from troubled backgrounds.

The lawyer added that Hasan was raised by a single mother, who works as a doctor in the United Kingdom.

Pointing out that Hasan had stayed in Singapore for more than a month now pending the court proceedings, Mr Singh said: “He is at your mercy, Your Honour. I hope you can exercise mercy and impose a fine on him.” He sought a S$2,500 fine.

DPP Shen, however, argued that there was a pressing need for deterrence in this case since a public officer was involved.

District Judge Salina Ishak then imposed the one-week jail term that the prosecution had asked for.