A
31-YEAR-OLD commodities broker who kicked and punched a cabby over
$20 in fares was jailed for two weeks yesterday.
Briton
Elliott Raymond Pitcher was also ordered to pay $5,000 in
compensation to Mr Gui Hwee Meng, 59.
Pitcher,
who had been drinking before boarding the cab in the early hours of
Sept 12 last year, had argued with Mr Gui over the route to his
home in Gilstead Road.
When the
cabby almost missed a turn, he hit him on the head. Later, he
attacked Mr Gui after a dispute over how to settle the fare,
kicking the cabby in the face and abdomen and continuing to punch
and kick him after he had fallen to his knees.
District Judge Siva Shanmugam, when handing down the punishment,
said taxi drivers provide an "essential public service" and had
"every right" to work in a safe environment.
He took
into consideration Pitcher's offer of compensation, which had been
paid, and his guilty plea. Also, it was the Briton's first brush
with the law.
His lawyer
Suresh Damodara pleaded for leniency, saying Pitcher had acted "out
of character". He also said his client had suffered injuries,
including a broken nose, when Mr Gui tried to defend
himself.
But
Assistant Public Prosecutor Andrew Low pointed out that Pitcher had
been the "architect" of his own injuries. He also said jail terms
for similar cases typically ranged from four to six
weeks.
Pitcher
could have been jailed for a maximum of two years and fined $5,000
for voluntarily causing hurt to the cabby.
