In a shocking incident that unfolded on a school bus, a 12-year-old Primary 6 pupil faced physical assault at the hands of the bus driver, resulting in a dislocated shoulder.
The incident took place on July 31, 2023, and the 64-year-old bus driver, Poh Choon Huat, has since been sentenced to seven weeks in jail, according to The Straits Times.
What happened?
The young boy, whose identity is protected by a gag order, was on his way home from school in the school bus when a spilled drink triggered a series of events that would leave a lasting impact.
Poh Choon Huat, the bus driver, took drastic measures in response to the spill, targeting the boy he believed was responsible.
As the bus was in motion, the boy assisted his friend in opening a can of green tea. However, a sudden stop caused the can to drop, spilling its contents. The boy promptly informed the bus attendant, but despite his efforts to clarify his innocence, he faced scolding from both the attendant and the bus driver.
Poh Choon Huat stopped the bus and confronted the victim, disregarding the boy’s attempts to explain the situation and innocence.
The assault
In a disturbing turn of events, Poh physically manhandled the boy, attempting to forcibly remove him from his seat. The boy resisted, holding onto the chair and seat belt, telling the driver not to touch him.
The driver then questioned the boy “what touch you?!” before pushing the boy on his left shoulder repeatedly. The boy then pushed the driver’s hand away, and the man then swiped the boy’s left cheek with his hand.
The bus attendant had a brief word with Poh before he returned back to the driver’s seat and resumed driving, during which the boy then called his grandmother about the incident, and she told him that she would be waiting for him at their void deck.
When the bus arrived, the boy cried when he saw his grandmother and told her everything that happened on the bus, and the grandmother then confronted the driver.
However, the driver simply laughed in response and denied what had happened.
Police questioning & subsequent jail
Subsequently, about 2 days later on 2 August, the boy had pains in his left shoulder and was brought to Changi General Hospital, where he was found with a dislocation.
When the police questioned Poh about the incident, he claimed that the boy had throws things all over his bus and dirtied it, and that he was not using the seat belt, which made him angry.
However, he later confessed that he wanted to pull the boy out of his seat by grabbing his left shoulder.
Poh Choon Huat faced legal consequences for his actions. He pleaded guilty to the charge of voluntarily causing hurt resulting in grievous harm.
The court, recognizing the severity of the incident, sentenced him to seven weeks in jail and ordered him to compensate the victim with $138 for medical bills.