Teen in Paya Lebar spat pleads guilty to assaulting cop
She was filled with rage and became hysterical when the police arrested her.
As Sergeant Sritharchana R. Jayaprakas was leading Carmen Chng Jiawen, then 16, out of her home, the teenager slipped and fell on a flight of stairs leading to the main door.
The policewoman tried to help her up but Carmen responded to her kind gesture by assaulting her.
The teenager pleaded guilty in court yesterday to one count each of mischief and voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant.
Two other charges - obstructing a policeman from carrying out his duties and using abusive words on three officers - will be taken into consideration during sentencing.
The judge has called for a pre-sentence probation report and the teenager will be back in court on Aug 13.
Carmen's family used to rent a part of a house at Paya Lebar Crescent owned by Madam Khoo Kim Cheng, 56.
The teen, now 18 and working in the service industry, lived there with her elder brother, full-time national serviceman Pierre Chng Yuheng, 19, her mother, Ms Chng Leng Khim, and 13-year-old younger brother.
The tenant-landlord relationship soured after her family repeatedly failed to pay the rent.
On March 19, Pierre was found guilty of two counts of criminal intimidation against Madam Khoo and one count of contempt of court. He was jailed for seven days and fined $4,500. (See report on right.)
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Carene Poh told the court yesterday that a group of police officers had gone to the house at around 4.15pm on June 6, 2013, to record a statement from Pierre.
This was about an incident that took place on May 22 that year, in which he threatened Madam Khoo with a 1m-long tree branch.
Pierre, however, refused to cooperate with the police and his family members stepped in to prevent the officers from arresting him. They locked the door to their home and refused to open it despite repeated warnings.
Officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force then broke it open and the police went in to arrest the three youngsters.
The court heard that Carmen fell as Sgt Sritharchana, 27, was leading her out.
She struggled and used both legs to kick the officer's knees and stomach when the policewoman tried to help her up.
DPP Poh said: "The accused also used her hands to scratch both the victim's hands. Eventually, the accused was handcuffed."
KICKED WINDOW
While she was in a police car, Carmen swung both her legs against a back door and forcefully kicked the right rear passenger window.
This caused the internal PVC cover of the right rear door to crack and it cost $100 to repair the damage, the court heard.
Sgt Sritharchana was taken to Changi General Hospital later that day and was found to be suffering from injuries including tenderness over her right lower ribs and bruises on her left arm. She was given four days medical leave.
For voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, Carmen can be jailed up to seven years and fined. For mischief, she can be jailed up to a year and fined.
Her brother's case
THE NEW PAPER, MARCH 20
He showed little respect to the court during his trial, calling it a "sham proceeding".
While in the witness stand on Feb 4, full-time national serviceman Pierre Chng Yuheng, 19, also repeatedly exclaimed that the proceedings were "grossly biased and prejudiced".
He paid the price for his disrespectful behaviour and was jailed for seven days on March 19 for contempt of court.
Chng was also fined $4,500 after District Judge Lim Keng Yeow found him guilty of two counts of criminal intimidation against his family's former landlady, Madam Khoo Kim Cheng, 56, in 2013.
The youth, who was not represented by a lawyer, had threatened to ruin Madam Khoo and her family members on May 2 that year. On May 22, 2013, he pointed a 1m-long tree branch at her, with intent to alarm her.
Chng is appealing against both the intimidation and contempt charges.
For each count of criminal intimidation, he could have been jailed up to two years and fined. For contempt of court, he could have been jailed up to six months and fined up to $2,000.
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