Quztaza Kamarudin's act in Orchard Road on July 5 left a hole in the window of the SMRT service 190 bus and resulted in a passenger getting injured. -- PHOTOS: SHI CC A/XIAOHONGSHU, SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A man who hurled a glass bottle at a double-decker bus, injuring a female passenger after it crashed through a window of the vehicle, was sentenced to seven months and two weeks’ jail on Dec 24.
Quztaza Kamarudin, 38, was also ordered to pay compensation of more than $3,000, failing which he would have to spend another 20 days behind bars.
He had pleaded guilty on Dec 16 to one count each of causing hurt to the woman by performing a rash act, theft and committing mischief.
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Intan Suhaily Abu Bakar told the court that Quztaza boarded bus service 190 in Bukit Panjang at around 5.30pm on July 5 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 Mr Lim Phang Kai, 60, and his 57-year-old wife blocked his way.
Quztaza and Mr Lim argued, and both men hurled vulgarities at each other.
Quztaza then alighted, while the couple took seats on the upper deck of the bus, with Mr 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 Mr Lim.
Court documents stated that he then saw the older man making an obscene hand gesture at him.
DPP Intan said: “Angered by Mr Lim’s actions, the accused threw the soju bottle towards the window where Mr Lim was seated.”
The bottle broke through the window and struck Mr Lim’s wife on the left side of her cheek.
Mr Lim alerted the police, and his wife was taken to the hospital, where she received stitches. She was later discharged and given five days of medical leave.
Quztaza was arrested on July 8 after he was identified. He was charged in court the next day.
However, he reoffended while out on bail, stealing from a convenience store near Boat Quay.
He had gone in at around 1.30am on July 26 to buy some food, and spotted a bottle of whisky worth $78 on a shelf.
DPP Intan had 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).”
Quztaza 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 latter 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. - The Straits Times/ANN
