SINGAPORE: A man is accused of leaving his house without a reasonable excuse during the "circuit breaker" period, not wearing his face mask properly and turning aggressive on a police officer who spoke to him.
Christopher Amurutham, 56, was charged on Wednesday (Apr 22) with two counts under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 and its regulations, along with two charges of verbally abusing and voluntarily causing hurt to a police officer.
AdvertisementAdvertisementChristopher is accused of leaving his home at Block 15, Toa Payoh Lorong 7 around lunchtime on Apr 18. The circuit breaker had been in force for more than a week at that time.
He is said to have ate and drank at a public bench at a nearby block without reasonable excuse.
Charge sheets also state that he did not wear his mask over his nose and mouth at all times while at the public bench, instead wearing the mask so that it covered only his chin.
When approached by a police officer at about 1pm that day, Christopher allegedly shouted a string of vulgarities including "bloody fool", "f*** you" and "f*** yourself".
AdvertisementAdvertisementEight minutes later, he allegedly raised his right hand and swung it towards the officer's face, causing her to move to deflect his hand with hers.
[h=3]READ: COVID-19 circuit breaker extended until Jun 1 as Singapore aims to bring down community cases ‘decisively’: PM Lee[/h][h=3]READ: From bubble tea runs to getting a haircut: What you can or cannot do under tighter COVID-19 circuit breaker rules[/h]Christopher is set to plead guilty on May 6.
The penalties for incorrectly wearing a mask are a maximum six months' jail, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both for the first offence. Repeat offences draw double the jail terms and fines.
The above penalties are the same for leaving your house without a reasonable excuse.
If convicted of cursing at a police officer, Christopher faces a maximum 12 months' jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
Voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant carrying out their duties could draw up to seven years, a fine, caning, or any combination of these punishments.
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