A 38-year-old man who threw a bottle at a double-decker bus after a roadside altercation was sentenced to seven months and two weeks' jail on Wednesday, December 24, after the bottle shattered a window and injured a woman seated on the upper deck.
Quztaza Kamarudin was also ordered to pay S$3,038.58 in compensation, covering medical expenses and repair costs. If he fails to do so, he will have to serve an additional 20 days in prison.
Quztaza had earlier pleaded guilty to one count each of committing a rash act, mischief and theft. Five other related charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
The court heard that the incident occurred at about 5.30 pm on Jul 5 this year, after Quztaza and his friends boarded a SMRT double-decker bus on service 190 from Bukit Panjang. While seated on the upper deck, Quztaza drank from a bottle of soju.
About an hour later, as the group prepared to alight near The Heeren along Orchard Road, Quztaza became involved in a verbal dispute with a man, identified in court documents as Lim Phang Kai, after their path at the staircase was blocked. The two exchanged vulgarities before Quztaza got off the bus.
Lim and his wife, whose name was not disclosed, later took seats on the upper deck, with the woman sitting next to the window. Shortly after the bus moved off, it stopped at a red traffic light. At that point, Quztaza and a friend were walking past the bus on the pavement.
Angered after seeing Lim make an obscene gesture at him, Quztaza threw the bottle of soju at the upper-deck window. The bottle smashed through the glass and struck Lim's wife on her left cheek, causing lacerations. Quztaza then walked away.
The woman was taken to hospital, where doctors found that her injuries required stitches. She was given five days of medical leave. Repairs to the damaged bus window cost about S$2,708.40. As of the date Quztaza pleaded guilty, no restitution had been made.
His actions were captured on closed-circuit television cameras from the bus and nearby buildings at The Heeren. He was arrested three days later, on July 8, and released on bail after being produced in court.
The court also heard about an earlier offence committed by Quztaza in the early hours of June 26, when he stole a bottle of Chivas Regal whisky worth S$78 from a 7-Eleven outlet in Boat Quay after legal alcohol sale hours. The store manager later identified him through CCTV footage, and police were called after Quztaza was spotted with the unopened bottle. His bail was subsequently revoked following the theft charge.
Seeking a sentence of seven to eight months' jail, the prosecution highlighted the serious risks posed by Quztaza's actions. Deputy Public Prosecutor Intan Suhaily Abu Bakar said the bottle was thrown with such force that it broke the thick bus window and struck the victim.
She added that the upper deck was about half full at the time, raising the risk of injury to other passengers, and that there was also a danger the bottle could have rebounded and struck members of the public outside. The incident resulted in the bus service being halted and passengers having to find alternative transport.
For committing a rash act, Quztaza could have been jailed for up to a year or fined up to S$5,000, or both. He also faced heavier penalties under the law for theft and mischief.
