SINGAPORE: A man faced court on Tuesday(Oct 7) over allegations that he hurled vulgarities at police officers while drunk at Changi Airport and also shoved and scratched one of them.
Canadian national Josiah Peter Crombie, 28, was handed three charges of voluntarily causing hurt to deter a police officer from carrying out his duty, using abusive words against a public servant and causing nuisance while intoxicated.
On Oct 5 at about 9.20am, police were notified of a man who was allegedly drunk and causing nuisance at the departure public area of Changi Airport Terminal 1.
Charge sheets state that at the departure east immigration gate, a drunken Crombie produced only a passport and wanted to enter without any boarding pass.
Police said he allegedly hurled vulgarities repeatedly at the duty auxiliary police officer after he was instructed to show his boarding pass.
Despite repeated warnings to stop that behaviour, Crombie allegedly ignored the instructions and later walked away.
When officers from the Airport Police Division arrived at the scene, Crombie purportedly used vulgarities on the officers.
He was also said to have shoved and scratched one of the officers, who sustained minor injuries on his arms and was given two days of medical leave.
Crombie, who attended court proceedings via video-link while in remand, was offered bail of $10,000.
He told the court that he could find a friend in Singapore to bail him out, and also asked if he could seek permission to return to Canada for a short period of time to deal with an emergency.
A police prosecutor told him to get bailed out of remand before applying to leave the jurisdiction.
Crombie’s case will be heard again on Oct 21.
If convicted of voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from carrying out their duty, Crombie could be jailed for up to seven years, fined or caned.
The offence of using abusive words against a public servant carries a maximum jail term of 12 months, a maximum $5,000 fine, or both.
Those who are drunk and causing nuisance may also be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $1,000 or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
