Mohammad Jeffry Lui Azman, 21, pleaded guilty to causing hurt to a public servant in the discharge of his duty. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

SINGAPORE — A full-time police national serviceman who was drunk in the early hours of New Year’s Day assaulted a policeman who was on duty, a court heard.

Mohammad Jeffry Lui Azman, 21, who served as an assistant training instructor with the police’s special operations command, said, “Police big f***” to staff sergeant Kenneth Ong Thiam Jun, 31, and challenged him to a fight.

Jeffry later choked Ong with both hands for about five seconds.

At the State Courts on Friday (1 November), Jeffry pleaded guilty to one charge of causing hurt to a public servant to deter him from discharging his duty.

The perpetrator will be sentenced at a later date, pending a probation suitability report.

New Year celebration

At about 1am on 1 January, Jeffry went to Club Nexus at Oriental Plaza with two friends, Wong Bin Sing, 22, and Ong Jian Wei, also 22. The trio shared three towers of beer and a bottle of Martell.

At about 3.30am, they left the club to smoke outside Oriental Plaza. Also smoking at the same area were three others: Noel Teo Jun Wei, 18, Tan Hong Ming, 20, and Jordan Tang Wei Jun, also 20.

While Wong was smoking and talking to Ong, Jeffry went up to Teo, Tan and Tang and started mumbling incoherently while staring at Tang.

Jeffry became agitated and raised his right fist at Tang. Wong pulled Jeffry away while Ong told Teo, Tan and Tang that Jeffry was drunk and apologised for his behaviour.

The commotion caught the attention of four police officers who had been deployed to maintain law and order at Oriental Plaza, and ensure that partygoers at various clubs left the building in a peaceful and orderly manner.

The officers separated the two groups. At about 4am, Jeffry suddenly became agitated and shouted at staff sergeant Ong, challenging him to a fight.

Jeffry continued to behave aggressively and tried moving towards the officer, but Wong and Ong held him back.

Jeffry managed to eventually break free from his friends and charged towards the on-duty police officer. He raised his hand and tried to push the policeman’s chest, but the latter managed to push the assailant’s hands away.

Jeffry then pushed Ong on his shoulder and grabbed hold onto the policeman’s elbows. A struggle ensued and Ong managed to break free from Jeffry.

In the midst of the struggle, both men fell onto the ground, with Ong landing on his back and Jeffry on top of him. Jeffry then used both hands to choke Ong for about five seconds.

A female volunteer police inspector tried to pull Jeffry away but she was unable to overpower him alone. Together with two other volunteer police officers - a female senior station inspector and a male sergeant - Jeffry was later pulled away and arrested.

Ong received two days of medical leave.

Jeffry’s blood alcohol level was 101mg/100ml.

The maximum punishment for causing hurt to a public servant to deter him from discharging his duty is up to seven years’ jail, along with a fine and caning.

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