SINGAPORE — After downing three to four bottles of beer over dinner, a group of electric scooter riders were zipping through Bishan Park when the last rider bumped into a pedestrian.

A heated argument ensued, with 45-year-old Argentine Roman Barros Griffiths threatening to make a police report. The group later tracked him down and assaulted Mr Griffiths and his wife, Ms Eri Sugeno, 42, a Japanese national, leaving them with bruises and a twisted ankle.

Four of the riders, aged between 28 and 40, were given jail terms of between two days and two weeks on Monday (April 30) for voluntarily causing hurt. They could have been jailed for up to two years, or fined up to S$5,000, or both.

The court heard that one of the riders - Tan Wee How, 34 - dropped his phone during the assault on the couple on February 10 last year. A police officer answered when Tan called his own phone in a bid to retrieve the device, leading to the group’s eventual arrest.

According to court documents, the four riders - Tan, Ng Yeow Tim, 40, Leong Sin Kwang Thomas, 37, and Tay Woei Chain, 28 - were part of a group zipping through Bishan Park around 11.10pm on February 10 last year.

Mr Griffiths saw the group of e-scooter riders turning left, and raised his arm to signal for them to stop so that he and his wife could cross the junction of Bishan Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.

However, the group rode on, and Ng, the last rider, bumped into Mr Griffiths’ arm.

A heated argument broke out between the two before Ng rode away to catch up with his friends. He told them that Mr Griffiths had threatened to make a police report, and the group turned back to confront the Argentinian.

Court documents said Tan punched Mr Griffiths on his right cheek, left temple and at the back of his head, while Leong punched the Argentinian in his left arm.

Mr Griffiths tried to escape but the group caught up with him at one point, and tore his shirt and scratched his body. Ng and Leong gave up pursuing Mr Griffiths only after seeing that he had called the police.

Mr Griffiths’ wife had urged the group to stop the attack on her husband, but was instead kicked on her left leg by Tan, causing her to fall down and twist her right ankle.

The e-scooter riders subsequently fled the scene. But Mr Griffiths’ wife managed to pick up the phone that Tan had dropped during the assault, and gave it to the police.

The Argentine suffered bruises to his head and left shoulder while his wife suffered bruises on her thigh and ankle.

Tan was jailed for two weeks, while Leong and Ng were both sentenced to one week jail. Tay was jailed for two days.