Briton jailed for attacking cabby

lawsm@sph.com.sg

A technical manager was yesterday jailed two weeks for hurting a cabby.

Briton Christopher Gordon Sang, 43, was in his Audi sports car when he came across taxi driver Liu San Chuang, 65, on Flora Drive in Upper Changi.

Mr Liu had just picked up a passenger and was trying to make a three-point turn to head out of the two-lane road with one lane in each direction.

He had switched on his hazard lights and waited for other vehicles to overtake him before doing so, but Sang stopped a few car lengths away, flashed his headlights and honked his horn.

The cabby then inched forward to the left, wound down the driver's window and used his right hand to signal for Sang to overtake him.

Instead, Sang got out of his car, walked towards the taxi, opened the passenger door behind the driver's seat and pushed Mr Liu's head forward while mumbling some words.

He then went back to his car, overtook the taxi and drove into Ferraria Park Condominium.

While Mr Liu and his passenger could not hear what Sang said, the passenger remembered the man's car model and licence plate number.

Mr Liu suffered neck pain and muscle strain as a result.

In mitigation, defence lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam said Sang regretted the offence and was remorseful.

District Judge Eddy Tham said there was a strong public interest when it came to road rage cases, even more so when it involved a criminal assault on a public transport worker.

Sang could have been jailed up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 for causing hurt.