Latest news with #publicNuisance
CNA
21-07-2025
- CNA
Man gets jail for tapping bus driver's face with EZ-Link card
SINGAPORE: Drunk and upset that he had not alighted at his stop, a man made a scene on a public bus and tapped the driver's face with his EZ-Link card. Wilson Loh, 53, was sentenced to five weeks' jail and fined S$1,500 (US$1,168) on Monday (Jul 21) for offences committed over the entire episode. He pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance and two counts of criminal force - by tapping the card on the bus driver's face and pushing the hand of a passenger who tried to intervene. A fourth charge was considered in sentencing. The court heard that Loh had drunk eight bottles of beer at a coffee shop in Commonwealth from 12pm on Mar 18 this year. At around 6pm, he left to head home and boarded bus 195, which was driven by the victim, 46-year-old bus captain Yin Xusheng. Loh intended to alight at the next bus stop. When the bus arrived at Loh's intended location, Mr Yin stopped the bus for the passengers to board and alight, but Loh did not alight. When the driver moved off, Loh approached him and accused him of not allowing him to alight. The bus driver explained that he had opened the exit door for passengers to alight. Unhappy, Loh used his EZ-Link card to tap the bus driver's face. This was an act of criminal force intended to cause annoyance and done without grave or sudden provocation, the court heard. On the way to the next bus stop, Loh made a scene on the bus, causing annoyance to the other passengers. At about 7pm the bus arrived at the stop with Loh still shouting. The bus driver stopped the vehicle and tried to explain matters to Loh, who refused to listen and disrupted the bus service. A 75-year-old passenger approached Loh in an attempt to calm him down, but Loh remained upset. He pushed the man's hand, causing him to drop his phone on the floor. The device was not damaged. A police report was made and Loh was arrested at about 8.20pm. The prosecution said Loh has a long history of convictions since 1989 but mentioned only the relevant ones. These include disorderly behaviour, snatch theft, a rash act and voluntarily causing hurt. Loh was given fines, jail terms and corrective training for these offences. His latest sentences were for two convictions in September 2024, for voluntarily causing hurt. He was given 12 and 14 weeks' jail respectively. The guilty plea nearly fell through when his bailor expressed her intention to discharge herself. She ultimately agreed to continue in her role after being persuaded by the accused In mitigation, Loh said through a Mandarin interpreter that he feels "agitated" when someone films him after receiving his fifth COVID-19 vaccine. "Because someone was filming me, so I just slapped his hand," he said. District Judge Eddy Tham told him that the problem was his self-intoxication. "You need to bear the consequences of your actions, because even though you may not have the intention or even remember exactly what happened, the fact is that if you drink yourself to that extent when you become less controlled ... then the fault ... really lies in yourself," he said. Loh admitted this was so. The judge continued that it does not matter to the victim if Loh had any intention to commit the offence or not, because the fact is that harm was caused. "If you really want to change, you need to do something about your drinking. Control your drinking so you don't behave that way, and if you can't control your drinking then you should really cease drinking," said Judge Tham. Loh agreed and said he did attend anger management sessions. He was allowed a deferment to attend ultrasound appointments. The case comes after new signs were placed on public transport to curb behaviour that poses a nuisance.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Columbus, county say Hilltop store sold stolen goods, seek 'public nuisance' declaration
The city of Columbus and Franklin County have filed a lawsuit accusing the owner of a Hilltop store of selling stolen products. Herbert's Market, located at 1121 Sullivant Ave., is named in the complaint, filed by Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein and Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shayla Favor. The lawsuit aims to have Herbert's declared a public nuisance and accuses owner Ahmad Arman of a "clear and repeated pattern" of taking stolen goods and reselling them for profit, according to a July 9 statement from Klein. The lawsuit says that, since July 31, 2022, Columbus police have responded to 138 calls from Herbert's and the surrounding area for a variety of criminal and nuisance activities, including reports of drug use, harassment and a gunman threatening people. Columbus fire has also found several code violations for fire hazards on Herbert's premises, according to court records. Herbert's Market and Arman did not respond to The Dispatch's request for comment in time for publication. Columbus police began their investigation into the store after repeated inspections of Herbert's property uncovered evidence that the owners knowingly attempted to sell stolen goods, including shoes, clothing, audio equipment, liquor, and more, which still had the original tags of other retailers attached, according to court records. When detectives asked Arman about the source of his merchandise, which included products from Gucci, Adidas, and other name-brand manufacturers, he offered to remove the products in question from his shelves, according to court records. After being confronted with a picture of retailer anti-theft devices that had been thrown away and asked for the receipts of products he was selling, Arman admitted he had bought stolen merchandise at least once. According to the lawsuit, there were several discrepancies in Arman's story as detectives continued to question him. The lawsuit also refers to frequent shoplifting incidents affecting law-abiding businesses on the West Side, especially along Sullivant Avenue. Columbus Police have dedicated "many thousands of hours" to responding to these crimes, and plaintiffs believe this kind of legal action will help in addressing that problem, according to the press release. This is not the first time the city has taken legal action against a Sullivant Avenue business. In October 2024, Klein's office sued Rosco's Market, located at 2500 Sullivant Ave., for being a "haven for prostitution, drug-related activity and violence." In 2019, The Dispatch published a special three-part investigation into the frequent crime that occurs on Sullivant Avenue, finding it to be more plagued with prostitution and drug abuse than anywhere else in Columbus. Klein said the July 8 lawsuit is an example of the city "cracking down on shady retailers that traffic stolen goods ... and attempt to rip off businesses and consumers." 'Business owners have a responsibility to remain in compliance with laws and regulations at all times, and thanks to the Division of Police, the County Prosecutor's Office and the Property Action Team, we've brought a strong case to hold owners accountable and clean up this illicit activity along Sullivant Ave," he said. Favor agreed, calling the case a "powerful example" of the coordination between her office and Klein's. The filing is the first joint lawsuit filed by both offices. Favor created a nuisance abatement unit after being elected prosector in January 2025. "We remain committed to ensuring that those who put our communities at risk face real consequences," she said. Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@ or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hilltop store Herbert's Market accused of selling stolen goods
