Man gets jail for causing hurt resulting in death

Coffee shop owner Tan Beng Gim, 52, was sentenced to eight months' jail yesterday, after pleading guilty to a charge of voluntarily causing hurt in an altercation that resulted in a 51-year-old man's death.

The initial murder charge against Tan had been reduced to a count of voluntarily causing hurt.

At about 2.30pm on April 11, 2018, Tan and the victim, coffee shop patron Ng Boon Chye, were involved in a fight with each other next to a refuse disposal area at Block 966 Jurong West Street 93. This was around 50m from the coffee shop that Tan owned - NTI food court at Block 964 Jurong West 93.

Videos screened in court showed Mr Ng walking past the table where Tan was eating at NTI food court. The court heard that the two men knew each other and had quarrelled at the coffee shop on March 6 that year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Gabriel Choong said that Mr Ng had exchanged looks with Tan, but kept a wide berth as he walked away and doubled back across the courtyard adjacent to the coffee shop.

Tan then got up from where he was having lunch and approached Mr Ng, after which the two had a heated, expletive-laden discussion.

The victim then attempted to walk away several times but Tan shouted at him, shoved him and asked if he was "trying to test (Tan's) patience".

Unable to come to a resolution, Tan then placed an arm around the victim and steered him towards the refuse disposal area behind the coffee shop, telling him that they would "go behind to settle the problem".

At the refuse disposal area, Tan and Mr Ng were then filmed goading each other and spouting Hokkien vulgarities in a heated argument, after which blows were exchanged.

DPP Choong pointed out a moment in the video when Tan swung and slammed the deceased into the floor. Mr Ng hit the ground with a loud thud and stayed face down and immobile.

DPP Choong said that the victim was "no saint", as he started the fight by throwing the first punch and kicking the accused in what had initially been a verbal disagreement. "Yet this was not a one-sided affair. While the accused had backed off, he was not truly intent on disengaging. He could have walked away from the incident location at any time he desired; the same could not be said of the victim who had been herded there against his will," he said.

Mr Ng was brought to the National University Hospital, where he was treated for multiple head injuries, including a skull fracture and damage to his right frontal lobe. He was then certified brain dead and succumbed to his injuries on April 15.

An assault charge of charging at and knocking down an unknown man at NTI food court at around 10.45pm on April 4, 2018, was taken into consideration in Tan's sentencing.

Tan has filed an appeal against his eight-month jail sentence.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 13, 2020, with the headline Man gets jail for causing hurt resulting in death. Subscribe