A commuter is on trial after allegedly assaulting a security officer who requested a bag screening at an MRT station. The incident occurred on the morning of August 17, 2024, at Lorong Chuan MRT Station.
The accused, Alina Meridian, a 31-year-old male who identifies as female and requested to be referred to by the name Alina in court, has claimed trial to two charges. The first is for voluntarily causing hurt to a 65-year-old security officer, Madam Cindy Tay Jui Hwa. The second charge is for using threatening behavior by shouting and gesturing aggressively at another colleague of Mdm Tay.
The alleged victim, Mdm Tay, who was 65 at the time of the incident and is now 66, testified as the first prosecution witness. She introduced herself as a senior security officer and a team lead with Certis Cisco. On the day of the incident, which was a relatively quiet Saturday, she was performing security screenings before commuters entered the MRT gantries.
Mdm Tay stated that she noticed Meridian entering the station with a bag and requested that the individual go for a screening. When Meridian continued walking, Mdm Tay tapped Meridian on the shoulder near the gantry and repeated the request to screen the bag. According to Mdm Tay's testimony, Meridian then "turned into a rage," threw the bag on the floor, and insisted that the officers pick it up if they wanted to scan it.
Mdm Tay described Meridian as shouting in a rage and scolding the officers. As she tried to ask Meridian to pick the bag up for screening, Meridian allegedly pushed her without warning. The push caused Mdm Tay to fall backwards, and she hit her head on the floor. She immediately felt a large bump and wetness, which turned out to be blood from a 1 cm cut on the back of her head.
The prosecution played closed-circuit television footage from the station, which showed the push and the fall. Mdm Tay stated that after she fell, Meridian showed no remorse but continued to scold the officers before finally picking up the bag, tapping through the gantry, and leaving the station. A frightened colleague called for an ambulance.
During cross-examination, Meridian, who was unrepresented and brought a stack of documents, did not ask typical questions but instead made statements. Meridian questioned why Mdm Tay, as a senior officer, did not use de-escalation tactics. Meridian suggested that picking up the bag would have de-escalated the situation rather than insisting the commuter comply.
Mdm Tay repeatedly responded that it was the duty of the commuter to comply with instructions and to present their own belongings for screening, and that officers are not permitted to touch commuters' possessions. The judge and prosecutor interjected at several points to direct Meridian to ask questions rather than make comments.
The trial is continuing, with other prosecution witnesses scheduled to take the stand. If convicted of voluntarily causing hurt, Meridian faces a penalty of up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to 5,000 Singapore dollars, or both. For the charge of using threatening behavior against a public service worker, the penalty is up to 12 months imprisonment, a fine of up to 5,000 Singapore dollars, or both.
Comments
Post a Comment