SINGAPORE: An intoxicated woman slapped an elderly taxi driver in an unprovoked attack after stating that she did not have any cash or cashless payment methods to settle her S$24 fare.
Shalini Devarajan, 36, was sentenced to two weeks’ jail on Feb 19 after she pleaded guilty to assaulting the male victim, who was 73 years old at the time.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Adelle Tai said the fare remains unpaid.
Court documents stated that Shalini reeked of alcohol when she boarded the victim’s taxi at around 3pm on Nov 11, and fell asleep during the ride.
When they reached her stated destination in Yishun Street 22, the driver woke her up and told her the fare was $24.
She replied she had no cash or cashless payment methods with her, and needed to go up to her unit to get the money.
“The (driver) asked her to leave her phone in the (taxi) and go up to the unit, but she refused. (He) then suggested following her up to the unit to get the money, but the accused refused this as well,” DPP Tai said.
Shalini challenged the cabby to take her to a police station, and he did so, with her scolding him during their drive to Yishun Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) in Yishun Central.
According to court documents, she snapped photographs of the driver and his vehicle.
He did not reply to her throughout the journey, said the DPP.
Both Shalini and driver got out of the taxi near the NPC, and she slapped his left cheek once at around 4.20pm.
She entered the NPC while a nearby police officer attended to the victim.
Shalini was arrested, and the taxi driver was given a day of medical leave after he went to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital for treatment.
Urging the court the sentence her to about two weeks’ jail, DPP Tai said: “The victim remained professional and non-responsive to the accused’s provocations throughout the incident, and the assault was completely unprovoked.”
The prosecutor also stressed that taxi drivers constitute a particularly vulnerable class of victims who deserve enhanced protection through deterrent sentencing. - The Straits Times/ANN
