Chinese National in verbal abuse case sentenced to 5 weeks and 5 days jail and fine of S$600

SINGAPORE: Han Feizi (韩菲紫), the 29-year-old Chinese national woman who reportedly verbally abused nurses and police officers at a hospital, pleaded guilty in court on Wednesday (25 Oct).

Appearing via video-link, she confessed to five charges, which included using criminal force and causing alarm to a security officer at her condominium, employing abusive language towards a hospital employee, creating public nuisance, and providing false information in her work permit application.

Three additional charges were taken into account during sentencing.

She was sentenced to five weeks and five days’ imprisonment, along with a fine of S$600 (US$438).

The defendant was previously charged with six counts:

• One count of being a public nuisance, which carries a fine of up to S$2,000.
• Two counts of using abusive language against a public service worker or public servant, punishable with a jail term of up to 12 months or a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
• Two counts of assaulting or using criminal force on a security officer, with a potential jail term of up to two years or a fine of up to S$7,500, or both.
• Intentionally causing harassment, which can result in a jail term of up to 12 months or a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.

She faced additional two charges on Tuesday for providing false information in her work permit application, claiming to be a secretary while working as a freelance hostess at various locations in the country.

During sentencing, the judge condemned her behavior as “loutish,” “belligerent,” and aggressive, emphasizing that there was no justification for her actions.

Drunk incident at the Sail

According to the prosecution, on October 3, 2023, around 10 p.m., a security supervisor at The Sail at Marina Bay, Marina Boulevard, alerted the police about a “drunk resident” needing aid.

Han was discovered squatting in a common area, attributing her condition to alcohol consumption.

While being assisted back to her unit, Han became aggressive while waiting for the lift, pushing the security supervisor and verbally abusing him once inside. She shouted a vulgarity at him at least five times.

Altercation at Singapore General Hospital

Another incident occurred at Singapore General Hospital around 2:35 a.m. on October 10, 2023, where Han alleged a private hire vehicle ran over her foot.

While in a wheelchair, she began to shout, claiming that the driver had deserted her.

In an act of defiance, she threw a mask on the floor and resorted to using vulgar language. Han acknowledged that she had consumed alcohol prior to the incident.

Han’s arrest occurred on October 11, 2023, and on the same day, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received information from the police regarding potential violations of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

Further probe unveils work permit application after rejection of student pass

According to court documents presented by the prosecutors from the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Manpower, Han submitted her application to work as a clerk for KDL Elements in August this year, subsequent to her rejected student pass application.

Despite declaring her intention to hold a clerk position, she had never actually undertaken such a role.

The MOM prosecutor emphasized that Han’s primary objective in entering Singapore was “to have fun.”

Furthermore, she completed the work permit application “without making an effort to understand its English content.”

She arrived in Singapore in July 2023 under in-principle approval, and her work permit was issued in August. However, she has not engaged in any work at KDL Elements to date.

In court, Han requested clemency, expressing her deep remorse and offering her sincerest apologies to the court through a Mandarin interpreter.

She explained her distress following the accident and her lack of familiarity with Singaporean law.

“This is my first time travelling overseas and I didn’t expect that I would be caught in this situation.”

Furthermore, she emphasized the emotional burden of her family’s health struggles.

Han acknowledged her mistakes and regretted her actions, acknowledging the need for greater understanding and tolerance in a multicultural society.

“I should not have shouted in public, I should not have used those words,” said Han, adding in English: “I’m sorry.”

Viral video shows altercation between the Chinese woman and police officer over hospital incident

In the early hours of October 10th, the defendant claimed she sustained a foot injury in a car accident.

She engaged in a confrontation with a nurse at Singapore General Hospital, reportedly using abusive language and refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

The woman in question uploaded videos of her interactions with the investigating officers on the widely used short video platform TikTok, sparking widespread discussions and reactions.

In the video recordings, the woman claimed that she had been waiting for three hours at the hospital due to her involvement in a car accident. She further alleged that a nurse informed her she couldn’t receive medical treatment at the hospital because she wasn’t a Singaporean citizen.

When the police officers sought to record her statement regarding the use of inappropriate language towards one of the hospital’s nurses, the woman refused to provide a clear response.

Instead, she insisted that the police officer should question the nurse and persisted in her request to be taken to the police station while demanding that the female Investigation Officer (IO) reveal her identity.

At one juncture, she even attempted to seize the officer’s identification card while continuing to document the incident, which led to a stern warning from the officer.

In a follow-up post on Tuesday evening, the woman disclosed that she is a long-term pass holder, and mentioned that she had undergone an X-ray examination and was provided with some medication.

The woman claimed that the driver who hit me fled the scene, unwilling to face the issue or take responsibility.

She emphasized her insistence on having the officers identify themselves because she wanted to prevent the driver from providing “unfavourable evidence” that might diminish the impact of the car accident on the driver.

Authorities intervened in early morning disturbance at SGH involving the woman

On 12 Oct, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) responded to media inquiries by issuing a statement.

The statement outlined that they had received a report at approximately 2:35 am on Tuesday, involving a 29-year-old Chinese national woman seeking medical attention for an injured foot.

It was reported that she was causing a disturbance and inconvenience to the public due to its loud nature. Additionally, she was accused of verbally abusing a nurse before the arrival of the police.

Around 3:15 a.m., two investigating officers (IO) arrived at the scene and initiated a conversation with the woman.

The police stated that the two IO identified themselves as hailing from the Central Police Division and were accompanied by uniformed police officers.

During the course of their conversation, the woman declined to provide a statement, and at one point, she used strong language in Mandarin directed at one of the IO.