Jail for PMD rider who said 'it's not your father's road' before assaulting strolling couple

SINGAPORE: After riding past a man walking home with his wife in Woodlands, an intoxicated personal mobility device (PMD) rider got down from his PMD and assaulted the couple.

Yeo Kian Heng, 57, was given 13 months, two weeks and one day's jail and a S$500 fine on Thursday (Mar 11).

The court heard that Yeo was riding a banned PMD which had handlebars and an electric motor attached to it on the night of Feb 1, 2020. His 10-year-old son was sitting in the front of the device.

The victims, a 55-year-old man identified in court documents only as V1 and his 50-year-old wife, were walking home on the pavement along Woodlands Avenue 7 when the man heard the sound of a horn from behind and turned around.

He saw Yeo riding his PMD with his son in front of him. After Yeo rode past the couple, he told V1 that it was not his father's road, the court heard.

Yeo then alighted from his device with his son and pushed the PMD towards a grass patch before walking angrily towards the couple.

Although his son tried to pull him back, Yeo punched V1 on his jaw. V1 fell to the ground, and Yeo continued to punch him and step on his ribs and groin area.

Yeo stopped his attack shortly after and left the scene on his PMD, while his son remained behind pleading with V1's wife not to call the police. V1's wife told him that Yeo had to take responsibility for his actions.

While they were talking, Yeo returned and swung his fists in the direction of V1's wife, kicking at her and trying to hit her. The woman managed to dodge and fled to her husband's side.

V1 was taken to hospital, while Yeo rode away on his PMD. He later admitted to drinking about two bottles of beer before the incident and said he was "feeling high" at the time of the offences.

V1 suffered fractured ribs, bruises, nausea, giddiness and a minor head injury. He was given seven days of hospitalisation leave.

Yeo pleaded guilty to three charges of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to V1, assaulting his wife and riding a banned PMD on a footpath.

The prosecutor asked for 16 months and one day's jail, saying that "a strong message needs to be sent to him and other like-minded individuals that such violence cannot be tolerated".

For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, Yeo could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined or caned. He could have been jailed up to three months, fined up to S$1,500, or both for assault.

The penalties for riding a banned PMD are a jail term of up to three months, a maximum fine of S$2,000, or both for a first-time offender. Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$5,000, or both.