SINGAPORE — A serial protester, who was jailed last year for illegally protesting outside Raffles Place MRT Station, was on Wednesday (April 11) sentenced to six and a half months’ jail and a S$5,000 fine for a similar offence.

Yan Jun, 42, was found guilty last week on three charges related to an unlawful protest outside Raffles Place MRT Station on Feb 22. He was charged with taking part in a public assembly without a permit, refusing to comply with a police officer’s direction to leave the premises, and repeatedly shouting at a police officer in a hostile manner.

Repeating his behaviour during his one-day trial last Wednesday, the former research assistant turned his back on District Judge Luke Tan and Deputy Public Prosecutor G Kannan on Wednesday. He also interrupted them several times as they spoke.

After being sentenced, he shouted at DJ Tan: “Do you think this punishment can stop me from protesting at Raffles Place MRT (Station) again? … You have not answered my question.” He also threw several bundles of court documents onto the ground before being led away by police officers.

Yan, who has been convicted seven times over the past two years for holding illegal solo protests outside places like the Istana, had reoffended less than two months after serving his sentence of 37 days’ imprisonment for protesting outside Raffles Place MRT Station in last November. He had served jail time in default after not paying his S$5,000 fine.

Noting that Yan has continued exhibiting “abhorrent behaviour”, and showed “no remorse whatsoever” during his trial, DJ Tan said: “The past sentences imposed … have apparently not been effective in curbing his disruptive and criminal behaviour. He has essentially acted in the same belligerent manner as before, and has even brought his protest from outside Raffles MRT Station to inside the courtroom.”

Video evidence tendered in court during the trial showed Yan holding two placards at Raffles Place around noon on Feb 22.

One of the placards stated “PM Lee and Justice Chao: resign over the Terrex conspiracy!” on one side, and “Singapore’s legal system is totally corrupt” on the other. The individuals refer to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Judge Chao Hick Tin.

The other placard stated “The Opposition: Prove yourself!” on one side, and “Protest against the Hong Kong government for betraying the sovereignty of China in the armoured vehicles conspiracy!” in Chinese on the other.

At 12.05pm, two police officers served him a notice to leave the area and not return for at least 24 hours. Yan was arrested after he disregarded the order despite two warnings.

In asking for seven months’ jail and a S$5,000 fine, DPP Kannan cited aggravating factors, including Yan’s lack of remorse, high level of premeditation, his high risk of reoffending as shown by an Institute of Mental Health report, having claimed trial with no valid defence, and his “egregious conduct” during the one-day trial last week.

Yan knew that he needed a permit to protest in public, and thus deliberately broke the law, DPP Kannan added. He also equipped himself with a loudhailer, and planned the location and time of his protest to maximise his audience and potential reach of his message.

DPP Kannan also pointed towards the “sheer venom and hatred in his tone and demeanour” that Yan had exhibited while shouting at the police officers, noting that there has been a “significant” more than 65 per cent increase in physical and verbal attacks against police officers from 2014 to 2016.

In light of that, the prosecution proposed new sentencing frameworks for disorderly behaviour, as well as contravening directions given by a police officer to move on from a public place where one is engaging in illegal conduct. The court should identify the level of culpability and harm, then identify the indicative sentencing range within the harm-culpability matrix. They should then pinpoint the appropriate starting point within the indicative sentencing range, and adjust the starting point, taking into account offender-specific factors.

Yan, who was representing himself, asked for a maximum sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment, saying the only way to stop him would be to charge him with contempt of court. He also promised to protest again outside Raffles Place MRT Station after he is released from prison.

If he does not pay his fine, he will be jailed a further seven weeks in default.

He is contesting his last charge of refusing to answer questions to a public servant while in the Central Police Division lock-up at around 11am on Feb 26. The pre-trial conference was set for Wednesday afternoon.

For contravening a direction by the police, Yan could have been jailed up to 12 months and fined up to S$20,000.

For behaving in a disorderly manner, he could have been jailed up to six months and fined up to S$2,000. And for taking part in a public assembly, he could have been fined up to S$5,000 or be jailed 37 days in default as a repeat offender.