Quztaza Kamarudin's alleged act in Orchard Road on July 5 left a hole in the window of the SMRT service 190 bus and caused injury to a passenger. - Photos: SHI CC A/XIAOHONGSHU, SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
SINGAPORE: Unhappy with a male bus passenger who had flashed him an obscene hand gesture, a man flung a glass bottle at the vehicle from the side of a road.
The bottle broke a window of the double-decker bus and struck the passenger’s 57-year-old wife, causing the woman to sustain facial wounds that had to be stitched up.
Three days after the incident in July, Quztaza Kamarudin, 38, was arrested after he was identified as the man who had thrown the bottle.
While out on bail, he stole a bottle of whisky from a convenience store.
On Tuesday (Dec 16), the Singaporean pleaded guilty to one count each of causing hurt to the woman by performing a rash act, committing mischief and theft.
Court documents stated that the incident involving the broken bus window took place on July 5.
Quztaza boarded bus service 190 in Bukit Panjang at around 5.30pm that day and sat on the upper deck of the vehicle.
He then drank soju from a bottle before the vehicle reached a bus stop near The Heeren shopping mall in Orchard Road at around 6.40pm.
He was about to walk down from the upper deck of the vehicle when Lim Phang Kai, 60, and his wife blocked his way.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Intan Suhaily Abu Bakar told the court that Quztaza and Lim had a verbal altercation and both men hurled vulgarities at each other.
Quztaza then alighted from the vehicle while the couple took seats on the upper deck of the bus, with Lim’s wife seated next to a window.
When the bus stopped at a nearby traffic light, Quztaza walked past the vehicle and kept a lookout for Lim.
He then saw the older man making an obscene hand gesture at him, the DPP said.
“Angered by Lim’s actions, the accused threw the soju bottle towards the window where Lim was seated. (It) broke through the window… and hit the victim on the left side of her cheek.”
Lim alerted the police and his wife was taken to hospital, where her wounds were sutured.
She was later discharged and given five days of medical leave.
The DPP said that Quztaza’s actions caused more than $2,700 in damages to the bus, and he has made no restitution.
He was charged in court on July 9, and stole the bottle of whisky while he was out on bail.
At around 1.30am on July 26, he went to a convenience store near Boat Quay to buy some food.
While there, he spotted a bottle of whisky worth $78 on a shelf.
DPP Intan said: “The accused felt stressed and wanted to drink alcohol to relieve his stress.
“As it was past the legal time allowed to (buy alcohol)... the accused formed the intention to steal the (bottle).”
He then slipped the bottle into his pocket and walked out of the store without paying for it.
A manager at the store later checked CCTV footage after noticing that the bottle of liquor was missing.
He saw Quztaza walking towards the liquor shelf in the clip and suspected that the offender had stolen it.
Quztaza was later spotted nearby with the unopened bottle of whisky.
Police were called to the scene and officers arrested him soon after.
Quztaza will be sentenced on Dec 24. - The Straits Times/ANN
