Private jet pilot jailed, fined for abusing police officers while drunk

SINGAPORE — While in a drunken state, a private jet pilot disrupted a group of workers doing cable installation works, and later went on to physically and verbally abuse police officers who detained him.

On Friday (March 18), Cameron Lachlan Milne, a 40-year-old Australian, was sentenced to 10 weeks’ imprisonment and fined S$5,000 after pleading guilty to one charge each of voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant discharging his duty, harassing a public servant and causing annoyance while drunk. 

Five other charges relating to the incident were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The court heard that on the evening of June 14 in 2018, Milne met some friends for a drinking session at Boat Quay before heading to another bar at Pan Pacific Singapore hotel where he shared two bottles of vodka with his friends.

At about 1.30am, Milne left the bar to buy water at a convenience store in Marina Square mall, where a group of workers were doing cable installation works related to the National Day Parade.

One of the workers later saw Milne throwing equipment around onboard the workers’ lorry and refusing to get down from the vehicle when asked.

One of the workers also noted that the Milne smelled strongly of alcohol and “stumbled around and spoke incoherently”. The worker decided to call the police because Milne was disrupting their work.

The workers later alerted the national servicemen escorting the installation work for help, because Milne had tried to run away while waiting for the police to arrive.

In the struggle, Milne fell into a bush and pulled one of the national servicemen along with him, tearing the other man's shirt in the process. 

Police officers who later arrived then arrested Milne for causing annoyance in public while drunk, after he gave incomplete answers when they asked for his details and address.

While in the police car, Milne started shouting loudly and kicking in all directions, including the back of the front seats. He also repeatedly kicked the officer seated in the backseat with him.

Sergeant Jamalul Ariffin Nordin sought medical attention at the Singapore General Hospital where he was found to have swelling, mild tenderness and a 5cm by 5cm bruising on his face. 

Court documents listed nine abusive and explicit phrases that Milne had used against the officer while at the back of the car, which was captured on a body-worn camera.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Theong Li Han sought a jail term of 10 to 12 weeks for the offence of voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty.

She sought another two weeks’ jail for an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act and a short custodial sentence for causing annoyance in public while drunk.

In mitigation and asking for a lighter sentence, defence lawyer Anand Nalachandran from Forte Law submitted that the incident was truly isolated and “very much out of character” for his client, due to the influence of alcohol.

He added that the incident was the only brush with the law that Milne had during his years in Singapore.

The defence lawyer said that his client was visibly mortified after looking at the body-cam footage some time after the incident and had unreservedly apologised to the officers.

In response, DPP Theong said that such self-induced drunkenness cannot be used as an excuse to not control oneself and so, no mitigating weight ought to be ascribed to it.

When delivering the sentence, the judge said he took into account that Milne had a clean record before the incident and had shown remorse. He also took into consideration the character references submitted by the defence.

The judge sentenced Milne to 10 weeks’ jail for abusing the police officer, and handed a fine of S$4,000 and S$1,000 respectively for the offence under the Protection from Harassment Act and for causing annoyance in public while drunk.