In an intriguing turn of events, 53-year-old Tarchandi Tan, previously known as Lee Hui Yin, who stirred chaos during a trial in a district court in 2021 and later spat at police officers upon her arrest in 2022, found herself sentenced to five weeks’ imprisonment on Friday for insulting a judge, according to The Straits Times.
This penalty supplements her previous eight-week jail term imposed on July 25 for her spitting outburst and persistent disregard for orders from authorities despite her legal obligations.
She pleaded guilty to one count of harassment involving District Judge Eddy Tham, with another change under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act taken into consideration during her sentencing.
Kangaroo court
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Hidayat Amir, Tan reportedly is of the belief that she is a “sovereign” who the government has no power over.
In August 2021 during the trial of Briton Benjamin Glynn, who was eventually convicted for not wearing a mask in public during the pandemic, Tan was seated among a group of like-minded people who share the belief in being a “sovereign”, Tan found herself at odds with the court’s protocol when asked to properly wear her mask, which was below her nose.
She then responded by lashing out at the court, saying that “this is a ridiculous kangaroo court… The kangaroo court requires me to wear a mask… I do not respect the judge,” before shouting at a security officer and refusing to leave the court room, before eventually being escorted out after 10 minutes.
Following the incident, she was ordered to show up at the Central Police Divisional Headquarters for an interview on 10 August 2022, for investigations into the incident, but she failed to turn up, as well as not showing up at the State Courts the next month.
A warrant of arrest was subsequently issued against her on 10 November 2022 and police officers went to her home at Bukit Batok.
After being arrested, she was brought into a police car where she spat on the faces of two police officers.
A Glimpse into Tan’s Mind
A doctor’s report by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) revealed that Tan exhibited residual symptoms of schizophrenia but clarified that her sovereign ideas were not delusional.
Despite her defiance, Tan expressed remorse and said that she had apologized to the judge. She also added “I have a right to free speech… There was no injury… My intention was not to cause hurt… There was no contract for me to wear a mask, or vaccinate, or keep quiet in court.”
Recap on the Benjamin Glynn hearing where Tan insulted the judge
Benjamin Glynn, the Briton charged with not wearing his mask on a train and again outside the state courts, was in court on 18 August 2021 to contest his four charges of not wearing a mask, public nuisance and his use of threatening words to a public servant.
According to The Straits Times, One of Benjamin Glynn’s supporters, Lee Hui Yin, was not wearing her mask properly when a security guard told her to do so.
She then reacted to the guard angrily as her mask slipped down and she had her entire mask off her face.
District Judge Eddy Tham then told her to step outside if she was not wearing a mask.
The agitated woman then exclaimed: “This is a ridiculous kangaroo court!”
The security guards then approached her as she told them: “You don’t touch me, I have no contract with you!”
She then said something about this not being about a mask, but about “control”.
A man then tried to admit himself as the accused’s (Glynn) lawyer but failed because he didn’t have a practising license, then told the security guard to refrain from “provoking” the woman.
Judge Tham then ordered the woman to be taken out of the courtroom: “That is enough interruption, please bring her out of the courtroom now.”
Proceedings were halted as the woman was hauled out of court, she then exclaimed as security guards surrounded her (without touching her): “You don’t tell me what to do, I’m a living, breathing woman. Shut up. I do not respect the judge.”
As the judge was away, Glynn continued his taunting remarks at the prosecutor: “Back to law school for you, Mr Koh.”
S’pore Police’s earlier statement on November 2022
The Police will be charging a 52-year-old woman on 11 November 2022 for offences under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act and the Protection from Harassment Act for her actions during a court hearing on 18 August 2021.
On 18 August 2021, the woman was seated in the public gallery at the State Courts during a trial involving Mr Benjamin Glynn. She was asked to step out of a courtroom to adjust her mask, which was askew. She then used insulting words towards a District Judge of the State Courts by shouting “This is [a] ridiculous kangaroo court”, “if the kangaroo court requires me to wear a mask” and “I do not respect the judge”.
The woman will be charged with an offence of using insulting words towards a public servant, which is punishable under Section 6(3) of the Protection from Harassment Act. If found guilty, the woman is liable for enhanced punishment under Section 8(1)(d) of the Protection from Harassment Act as she was previously convicted and sentenced in April 2014 to a mandatory treatment order for committing a similar offence. In addition, the woman had behaved in a disorderly manner in the courtroom on 18 August 2021. Hence, she will also be charged with an offence of disorderly behaviour in the immediate vicinity of a court under Section 20 of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.
The offence of using insulting words towards a public servant, punishable under Section 8(1)(d) of the Protection from Harassment Act, may be punished with imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The offence of disorderly behaviour under Section 20 of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act is punishable with imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.
In addition, the woman is being investigated for offences of failing to attend in obedience to order from public servants under section 174 of the Penal Code, as well as offences involving the use of criminal force against Police officers under section 353 of the Penal Code.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
11 November 2022 @ 8:53 AM