This is the first conviction of its kind related to the current coronavirus outbreak (Representational Image) This is the first conviction of its kind related to the current coronavirus outbreak (Representational Image)

An Indian-origin Singaporean was sentenced to two months’ jail on Thursday for shouting “corona, corona” and spitting on a hotel floor at the Changi Airport, the first conviction of its kind in the country related to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a media report.

Jasvinder Singh Mehar Singh, 52, pleaded guilty to one count each of committing a rash act and being a public nuisance on March 3, 2020, The Straits Times reported.

Singh smashed a plate and spat onto the floor of the Azur Restaurant at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport hotel after a waitress told him that the eatery was closed. Still unhappy, Singh spat onto the floor two more times and yelled: “Corona, corona.”

This is the first conviction of its kind related to the current coronavirus outbreak, according to the Singapore daily.

Singh must also spend an additional 55 days behind bars, as he had breached a remission order after his early release from prison in February. He was sentenced to jail in January to six months and five weeks’ jail over offences including harassment.

As part of the order, he was not supposed to commit any more offences between February 28 and April 26 this year.

At around 10.30am on March 3, Singh went to the restaurant, took a plate and helped himself to some food at a buffet line without informing the staff.

Court documents did not state if he was staying at the hotel at the time. When a waitress told him that the restaurant was closed, he smashed the plate and spat onto the floor before leaving.

Hotel manager Vikram Om Prakash Kakroo later guided Singh back to the hotel from Terminal 3. When they reached the lobby, Vikram asked Singh to take a seat. The manager then phoned the hotel’s security manager. Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Sng said that while Vikram was on the phone, Singh started walking towards the restaurant, saying that he wanted to break more plates.

Vikram stopped Singh and took him to a sofa in the hotel’s lobby. Singh, who sat down and placed both feet on the table in front of the sofa, later kicked a plastic sign off the table. After that, he spat onto the floor twice and shouted: “Corona, corona.”

The police were alerted at around 10.45am. For acting in a rash manner, Singh could have been jailed for up to six months and fined up to SGD2,500.

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