A 40-year-old cyclist who attempted to flee after being stopped by National Parks Board (NParks) officers at a closed trail in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has been sentenced to seven days' jail for injuring an officer while obstructing him in the course of his duties.
Marcus Lim Zhe Ming was sentenced on Wednesday, January 7, and also fined S$1,000 for a separate offence of exiting a nature reserve from a non-designated point. Two other charges — entering a closed trail along Hindhede Drive and refusing to provide his identity card — were taken into consideration during sentencing.
The court heard that the trail along Hindhede Drive had been closed to the public for at least six months as of end-August 2023. "No Entry" signs were put up and the entrance was barricaded with orange netting.
Two NParks officers noticed several cyclists exiting the closed trail via closed-circuit television footage at about 10.45 am on August 30, 2023. They proceeded to the location to carry out enforcement checks. One officer stopped two cyclists and spoke to them, while the other spotted Lim emerging from the same trail.
Lim initially complied when asked to remain at the scene. The cyclists were informed that the trail was closed and were asked to provide their identity particulars. They initially refused, with Lim questioning the officers' authority despite being shown their NParks staff passes.
As one officer explained the offences and said she had the legal authority to request their particulars, Lim suddenly attempted to cycle away. An officer ran after him and grabbed the left handlebar of the bicycle, causing both men to lose balance and fall. While Lim remained on his feet, the officer fell to the ground but continued holding onto the handlebar and repeatedly told Lim to stop.
Lim refused to comply and a brief struggle ensued before the second NParks officer intervened and asked her colleague to let go. Once released, Lim immediately rode off and left the scene.
The injured officer later sought medical treatment and was found to have abrasions on his elbow, forearm and knee, along with bruising to his knee and a swollen toe.
When questioned in October 2023, Lim maintained that he did not understand why the officer had grabbed his handlebar, calling it "a dangerous thing to do", even though the officer was carrying out his duties as an authorised officer.
For obstructing an authorised officer in the execution of his duty, Lim could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both. For exiting a nature reserve at a non-designated point, he could have been fined up to S$2,000.
