55-year-old Mockridge Philip Richard, a Briton who is a Singapore PR, pleaded guilty to one count of breaching Covid-19 regulations and was fined $8,000 on 18 August.
He had repeatedly refused to put on a face mask in public at City Square Mall on 16 May 2021.
Another two other similar charges were considered for his sentencing, for not wearing a face mask at Sengkang MRT station in November 2020 and Serangoon MRT station in December 2020.
Mockridge was reportedly defiant when approached by police officers at a Mos Burger outlet in City Square Mall, where he had his mask under his chin even though he wasn’t eating or drinking at the time.
The officers told him to put on his face mask, and he then replied “are you sure about that? I’m not so sure,” before asking them for their identification,
He then walked away from the officers while still unmasked and went to collect his food from the restaurant counter.
Sergeant Shawn Ang Yi Xiang, then asked Mockridge is he had a problem with wearing a mask, to which the latter ask him “which law are you referring to?” before taking out his phone and recording the exchange.
Sgt Ang then read out the law to him, to which Mockridge then asked “and if I don’t, what will you do?”
Mockridge was then informed that composition fines are usually given to first and second-time offenders, while repeat offenders will face prosecution in court.
Mockridge then told the officer, “so you’re threatening to put me in a cage?”
He said that the officer was “threatening” him, and refused to put on his face mask throughout the exchange with the police officers.
Mockridge defended himself in court during mitigation, reasoning that he was “not entirely sure of what the law was”, despite the police officer reading out the law to him at the time of the incident.