An Indian-origin Singaporean was on Thursday jailed for 11 weeks for public drunkenness, reoffending soon after his release from the prison after serving a two-week term for the same offence.
Ganesan Samythurai, 55, pleaded guilty to the offence as well as six other charges, including mischief and harassment, which he committed while out on bail. The Singaporean was sentenced to two weeks’ jail in May for public drunkenness, The Straits Times reported.
The court heard that “almost immediately” after his release, he was seen intoxicated at the void deck of a block of flats in Pending Road, near Bukit Panjang Road public housing estate on May 25. He was rowdy and challenged a passer-by to a fight.
He also kicked the dustbin there. Ganesan’s older sister spotted him at the void deck and ran home. She locked herself in her flat and called the police. Ganesan was outside her flat when officers arrived. They saw that he was not wearing a mask as required under Covid-19 safety measures.
On June 25, he was out on bail when he used a brick to smash the windows of his sister’s apartment unit when no one was home. He then entered the unit and destroyed items including a television set, causing 6,000 Singapore dollars ($ 4,417) in damages.
He was arrested and released on bail. On July 6, he went to Changi General Hospital at around noon to seek treatment for swelling on his left calf. He insisted on smoking there and threw a tantrum when told that he could not do so.
He then kicked a hospital bed and shouted vulgarities. Witnessing the commotion, senior nurse Mohamed Azmi Missuan, 35, approached Ganesan but was met with verbal abuse and a racial insult. Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Yong Ngee said, “They observed that the accused was hurling vulgarities at the hospital staff, specifically the nurses and auxiliary police officers. The accused’s wound was dressed and bandaged. “The accused was also discharged…
However, while collecting his medication, the accused started shouting vulgarities and refused to accept the discharge summary or medication.” Ganesan was then advised to leave the hospital and go home to rest.
He refused to leave the premises and was later arrested. In unrelated cases in June, the court heard that he also damaged a crow trap and yanked off the left side mirror of a parked car. These acts led to more than 1,000 dollars ($ 736) in damages. He has made no restitution, according to report.
