Woman, 26, jailed 12 weeks for hurling beer bottle at Geylang restaurant staff, biting police officer

A 26-year-old woman was sentenced to 12 weeks’ jail on April 24, after she hurled a beer bottle at restaurant staff in Geylang and refused to comply with the police, biting an officer’s shoulder.

The Chinese national, 26-year-old Gao Xiaotong (transliterated), faced six charges, including committing rash conduct, using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out duties, and overstaying. She pleaded guilty to three of the charges, with the remaining taken into consideration during sentencing.

According to Shin Min Daily News, court documents stated that Gao was dining at zi char restaurant along Guillemard Road at about 6pm on Feb 26. After ordering food and a bottle of beer, she chose a seat at the outdoor dining area.

A female supervisor at the restaurant, who is a Myanmar national, then walked past her table while calling out to staff.

CCTV footage showed Gao suddenly pointing at the supervisor before picking up a beer bottle, rushing forward and throwing it at her. The supervisor dodged the bottle and fled indoors.

Gao chased her into the restaurant, knocking over shelves and chairs near the counter and hurling a menu at another female employee. When a male staff member intervened, she pushed both employees.

Shortly after returning to her seat, she threw a glass into the restaurant, shattering it and prompting staff to call the police.

Accused bites police officer

Two police officers later arrived at the scene. One of them asked the accused to produce her identification, but she pushed him aside and attempted to leave.

Gao then made her way towards the road, forcing officers to grab her arm to stop her. An altercation ensued as she struggled and shoved against officers, shouting, before being brought back to the restaurant.

Inside, one of the officers checked her handbag and asked for her identification, but she refused. When he asked her to stand so he could remove the bag, she suddenly bit his right shoulder and was subsequently arrested.

The officer sought medical treatment in the early hours of the next day. He was found to have two U-shaped red marks on his right shoulder and was given two days of medical leave.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia

Gao was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health from Feb 28 to March 27 for psychiatric evaluation. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and other mental disorders, along with a nitrous oxide use disorder.

The report stated that her mental condition was linked to the offences, but she was not of unsound mind at the time.

She has been in remand since her arrest on Feb 26.

At the time of the offence, her social visit pass had expired on Feb 11, resulting in an additional charge of overstaying.

False accounts at court

In court, the accused argued that officers had pressed her head to the ground during the incident, and that she resisted in self-defence. However, the prosecution countered that the altercation had been captured on the officer’s body camera, and that her version of events did not match the evidence.

She also claimed that her arm was scratched while being handcuffed. In response, the prosecution said there was no record of any injuries sustained by the accused and emphasised that there was no misconduct in the officers’ actions.

When the judge asked whether she wished to view the footage, the accused declined and agreed to plead guilty.

In mitigation, she said it was her first offence and pleaded for leniency, adding that she hoped to return to China as soon as possible after serving her sentence.

Woman had visited before, behaved oddly: Staff

When reporters from Shin Min visited the restaurant on April 24, 49-year-old owner Chen Wenkai (transliterated) said he was not present at the time of the incident and that it was the first such case in the three years since the restaurant opened.

One female employee said Gao had previously dined there on one or two occasions.

On her first visit, she requested a private room, and when staff informed her of a minimum spending requirement, she became furious and questioned whether they were looking down on her.

“She didn’t drink alcohol during her previous visits. The day of the incident was the first time she ordered alcohol. Her behaviour was a bit odd — she was on the phone scolding someone, and then suddenly started causing a disturbance. When my colleague sensed something was wrong, she immediately called the police.”

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