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SINGAPORE: A man advised against leaving his home to drink alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic. He verbally abused police officers and used force to resist arrest.
He drank two cans of beer before heading to court, where he was aggressive towards a police officer in cargo court, cursing and pointing a middle finger at him.
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For his actions, Christopher Amurutham, 56, was sentenced to 11 weeks in prison on Wednesday (May 13).
He pleaded guilty to one count of using criminal force on a public servant, two counts of using abusive words, and one count of leaving his home to drink alcohol and eat in public without valid reason.
A fifth accusation of not wearing a mask over your nose and mouth was considered while you were away from home.
The court heard that Christopher left his home without wearing a face mask at about 6.15am on April 18.
He started drinking Chinese wine at approximately 6.30 in the morning, as he walked to the bus stop, knowing that he would not be able to stop drinking once it started, as he “would get high,” said Deputy Prosecutor Joshua Lim.
Christopher then took a bus from Toa Payoh, transferring to another bus at the Raffles Institution and wandering around before boarding another bus in Bishan at 10.13 a.m.
Christopher does not remember where he went during parts of the morning. However, he bought a package of rice and a bottle of whiskey and went to a public bank near Block 20, Lorong 7 Toa Payoh.
SPOTTED BY SAFE DISTANCE AMBASSADORS
An ambassador away and his partner saw Christopher there at 12:25 pm, with the package of rice he had eaten and half the bottle of whiskey consumed.
When the ambassador tried to speak to Christopher, he did not respond because he was drunk and his speech was dragged.
He was repeatedly advised to return home, but he did not comply and instead continued to drink the whiskey.
After more reminders, Christopher walked aggressively towards the ambassador and cursed him and his partner.
The ambassador called the police for help, and two officers arrived. They tried to ask Christopher if he needed help to go home, but he was inconsistent and said he had been drinking.
READ: Man accused of wearing a mask improperly, leaving the house without reason and attacking the police
One of the officers told him that he had violated regulation 4 of regulations COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) 2020.
This angered Christopher, who yelled many vulgarities at the police officer, calling her an idiot and “damn fool.”
He cursed for half an hour, even after being arrested and put in the police car. He resisted during the arrest, yanked the police officer’s hand away, and knocked her off balance.
He almost slapped the officer’s face and almost hit the face of another off-duty officer who stopped to help.
When arrested, Christopher had left his home for almost seven hours without valid reason.
Another drunken outburst in court
Four days later, Christopher went to state courts to be charged with the above crimes. However, he drank two cans of Guinness Stout before that and police officers watched him drunk and smelling of alcohol.
When he was in charges court, Christopher felt unhappy and agitated due to some laptop sound problems through which he would attend the hearing.
Suddenly he became aggressive towards a police officer in court, approaching him with his face very close to that of the officer, forcing him to take a few steps back.
Christopher looked at the officer and cursed him. When the officer told him to sit down and care about his language, Christopher did not move, even when other officers intervened.
He pointed the middle finger at the officer twice, while members of the public were present in the courtroom and could see what was happening.
The prosecutor requested 14 weeks in prison, noting that Christopher had dated previous convictions, including robbery in 1981 and disorderly conduct in 1990.
Christopher, who was not represented, apologized to all the officers involved and said “everything is going crazy” because of his drink.
When asked by the judge if he had a drinking problem, Christopher said, “Actually, no, I was actually doing well.”
He added that “the law is now very strict,” “it is no longer like a warning, he will immediately be arrested by COVID-19.”
Christopher said he regrets his actions and that he actually respects uniformed officers, who are the “protectors of the public.”
District Judge Ong Hian Sun noted that Christopher had drunk not once, but twice, which Christopher said he did, as his job as a cleaner is difficult.
The prosecutor said that drinking was not a mitigating factor, and said that Christopher’s claim to respect uniformed officers was not confirmed in fact.
“It is pretty clear to me that you have to address a drinking problem,” the judge said.
He said he would ask for an assessment of the underlying cause of Christopher’s repeated offense.
For cursing a police officer, Christopher could have been jailed for up to a year, fined up to $ 5,000, or both.
For using criminal force against a public servant who carries out his duties, he could have been jailed for up to four years, fined, or both.
He could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S $ 10,000, or both for leaving his home without a reasonable excuse during the switch period.
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