PUBLISHED ONJune 19, 2023 8:41 AMByLim KeweiAn argument over the improper disposal of cigarette butts between several diners at a coffee shop escalated into a bloody brawl with chairs, shoes, and a table thrown around by the agitated diners.
The scuffle between a family and a group of regular customers occurred at a coffee shop at Block 327 Hougang Avenue 5 at around 9pm last Friday (June 16), Shin Min Daily News reported.
A 50-year-old woman surnamed Zhuo told the Chinese daily that she and her siblings had brought their 86-year-old mother to the coffee shop for a meal and sat at a corner.
Zhuo and her siblings started smoking after finishing their meal, and then threw their cigarette butts on to the nearby stretch of grass.
A 63-year-old regular customer, surnamed Chen, recounted that he was smoking and drinking with his friend just outside the coffee shop when they witnessed the unsightly scene.
As Chen and his friend had specially brought their own containers to dispose their cigarettes, his friend decided to approach the family to caution them against littering, and request that they properly dispose of their cigarettes in the container.
However, Zhuo's family paid no mind to his request and reportedly challenged Chen's friend to call the police if he was unhappy with their behaviour.
"They also retorted that they had money and could pay the fine," Chen said.
Chen remarked that his friend had approached the family once before, and did not expect the altercation to occur the second time he approached.
He claimed that Zhuo and her family then attacked them with chairs and shoes.
In the ensuing scuffle, Zhou's mother fell and hurt her legs and hips. She was reportedly unable to stand after that.
She had to be taken to the hospital, said Zhou.
Zhuo also shared that her brother's eyes, neck, and feet were injured. And that his feet had been badly cut by glass and was bleeding profusely.
When interviewed, Zhou stated that she did not provoke them, and had only acted after the other party became violent and lifted a table towards her brother.
When a reporter from Shin Min arrived at the coffee shop on Friday night, the police were at the scene. There were some bloodstains on the coffee shop floor, and Zhuo's sister also had bloodstains on her body.
According to the Chinese daily, the police confirmed that two men, aged 53 and 63, were arrested and an investigation is ongoing.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that a total of three people sustained light injuries, adding that two were sent to Sengkang General Hospital, while the third refused to be sent to the hospital.
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