A 52-year-old Australian man has been sentenced to five months and six weeks’ imprisonment and fined S$5,000 after subjecting Singapore police officers to a series of acts at Changi Airport and Changi General Hospital.
Morris Davis spat at officers, urinated in their direction and even threatened to defecate and throw his faeces at them.
He faced eight charges, including using criminal force against a public servant and offences under the Protection from Harassment Act. He pleaded guilty to four charges on Oct 30, while the remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Australian Man Arrived In Singapore From Bali
According to CNA, Davis arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 3 from Bali, Indonesia, on July 16. He was transiting through Singapore on his way to Perth, Australia.
Davis had reportedly sustained head injuries in an accident in Bali and was taken to a clinic at the airport for medical attention.
However, after learning that he would have to pay for his treatment, he became upset and left the clinic.
He subsequently headed to the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold Lounge, where staff requested to verify his identity and eligibility to use the facilities.
Davis became agitated and verbally abused the lounge manager, prompting staff to alert the police. He was eventually sent to Changi General Hospital for treatment.
Returned To Airport With Invalid Boarding Pass
Later that same day, Davis returned to Changi Airport Terminal 3 with an invalid boarding pass.
He reportedly demanded to speak to a manager because he wanted to enter the lounge and board his flight to Perth.
An auxiliary police officer escorted him to the Singapore Airlines check-in counter to enquire about his flight arrangements.
However, Davis repeatedly shouted vulgarities at the officer, attracting the attention of other police officers who approached to investigate the commotion.
When officers tried to manage the situation, Davis attempted to walk away, claiming that he wanted to leave for a smoke.
After being told that he could only smoke later, he became increasingly agitated and even challenged officers to arrest and jail him.
At around 3.30pm, when an officer tapped him on the shoulder, Davis threatened to knock the officer’s glasses off his head if he touched him again.
Despite receiving a warning, he continued verbally abusing the officer. He was subsequently arrested and brought back to Changi General Hospital, where police officers were assigned to monitor him.
Spat At Officers & Threatened To Throw Faeces
The situation continued after Davis woke up from being sedated at the hospital.
While restrained, he threatened to grab an officer by the throat and choke him.
Between approximately 5.30am and 12.40pm, Davis continued harassing the officers assigned to watch over him.
He spat at them repeatedly and removed a mask placed over his face to prevent him from spitting.
When he requested to use the toilet, an officer initially denied his request and offered him a potty instead.
Davis responded by threatening to defecate and throw his faeces at the officer.
He later asked to use the toilet again and was offered a urinal bottle. However, he subsequently urinated from his hospital bed in the direction of the officers.
At another point, an officer attempted to put a mask on him to prevent further spitting, but Davis tried to bite the officer.
His behaviour continued when two other officers took over ward duty later that morning.
During lunchtime, Davis became upset because he wanted to eat with both hands. He threw his food onto the floor, broke the plates and spat at the two officers.
Judge Describes Behaviour As Disregard For Authority
The prosecution sought a sentence of eight months and one week’s imprisonment, arguing that Davis had committed multiple offences within a short period.
They described his behaviour as disrespectful and derogatory, adding that he had demonstrated an obvious lack of respect for local police officers.
His defence lawyers, however, told the court that Davis was extremely remorseful, apologetic and ashamed of his actions. They also said he was prepared to accept the consequences and wanted to apologise to the officers involved.
In delivering the sentence, the judge highlighted that Davis had directed verbal abuse, threats and physical aggression towards public servants carrying out their duties over approximately 32 hours.
The judge said his actions demonstrated a prolonged and flagrant disregard for authority and the dignity of the public officers involved.
The court also singled out his act of urinating towards the officers, describing its inherently degrading and unsanitary nature as particularly reprehensible.
Davis was ultimately sentenced to five months and six weeks’ imprisonment and fined S$5,000.