Orchard Towers KTV lounge waitress fined S$4,500 for fighting with colleague

SINGAPORE — The two KTV lounge waitresses were already on bad terms, but things escalated one night when Joanne Teo Qian Ting challenged the other woman to a fight in their locker room.

Teo then assaulted Ms Tiv Chan Thou for almost two minutes, resulting in the latter being hospitalised for two days.

Teo, 43, was sentenced on Friday (Aug 23) to a fine of S$4,500 after pleading guilty to one charge of causing hurt to Ms Tiv.

The court heard that both of them worked at the Supreme Orchard KTV in Orchard Towers.

When the fight took place on Oct 14 last year, Teo had been working there for about a month. It was not stated how long Ms Tiv had been working there, or why the two women did not get along.

At about 3am that day, Teo retrieved her belongings from the lounge’s locker room and bumped into Ms Tiv on her way out.

Teo then challenged her to a fight but she declined. Ms Tiv tried to retreat, but Teo pushed her to the ground and kicked her repeatedly.

Teo then grabbed Ms Tiv by the hair and dragged her to the ground, before slamming her head against the floor and lockers. Teo also bit Ms Tiv’s right ring finger.

The assault was captured on closed-circuit television footage.

Teo then dragged Ms Tiv out of the locker room by her hair before their other colleagues separated the two women. A staff member called the police.

An ambulance also came and took Ms Tiv to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She was given nine days of medical leave after being discharged.

For causing hurt, Teo could have been fined up to S$5,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.