British tourist jailed 2 months for assaulting taxi driver

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SINGAPORE: A British tourist has been jailed two months and ordered to pay S$1,249.50 in compensation for assaulting a taxi driver in September.

James O'Kane, 61, admitted on Wednesday (Oct 13) to putting the victim, Mr Kamis Ismail, in a headlock and punching his face several times. He also bit the 52-year-old taxi driver on his head.

The elder O'Kane did this in response to his son's complaint that Mr Kamis had hurt his finger. Channel NewsAsia understands that his son is 34 years old.

O'Kane and his son had been drinking at a bar in Clarke Quay prior to the assault. Before getting into the taxi, the younger O'Kane spoke to Mr Kamis through the partially wound down left passenger window to confirm the pair's destination.

As he was getting into the victim's taxi, his fingers became caught in between the glass panel of the window and the door frame, as the window was being wound up.

The younger O'Kane punched the window to release his fingers, shattering the glass.

A witness pulled Mr Kamis out of the taxi, but the elder O'Kane persisted in his assault. Passers-by intervened and flagged down a police patrol vehicle that happened to be passing by.

The incident was captured on CCTV and played in court.

VICTIM WAS "DEFENCELESS"

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Yang Ziliang called the assaulted "unprovoked, unsolicited and uncalled for". The victim was "seated, strapped in ... (Mr Kamis was) defenceless and had nowhere to run".

Besides sustaining physical injuries, the victim now suffers from trauma and "avoids picking up Caucasian passengers", according to his statement read out in court by the DPP.

DPP Yang sought a jail term of three to four months, and a compensation order of S$1,249.50 to cover the victim's medical expenses and loss of income for the three days he was on medical leave.

The DPP also noted that O'Kane had offered to make compensation to the victim of his own volition. O'Kane told the court that the assault was "out of character". He said that he has been a fireman in the UK for 27 years and has received many commendations.

"I apologise, from the bottom of my heart," he said.

In sentencing O'Kane, District Judge Siva Shanmugam said that "public transport workers have every right to work in a safe and secure environment", and that assaults against them "cannot be tolerated".

The younger O'Kane was issued a stern warning over the incident. He has voluntarily paid compensation of S$480.58 to ComfortDelGro, which covers the repair of the window, rental of the taxi and loss of income for the victim.

- CNA/ww

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...2/2189686.html


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