The British national who was caught on video punching a security supervisor at Roxy Square Shopping Center in April was sentenced to a week in jail yesterday.
Stuart Boyd Mills, 47, a Singapore permanent resident, pleaded guilty on Monday to voluntarily causing hurt to 60-year-old Andrew Lim, multiple local outlets reported. Another charge related to having “intent to cause distress” by using abusive words was also taken into consideration during sentencing.
Mills, who owns advertising agency The Creative Mills, was reportedly drunk when the incident occurred at about midnight on April 4. In the two-minute viral clip, he can be seen complaining to Lim about not being able to find the exit of the building, but refusing to listen as Lim attempts to explain the location of the other exits.
In the viral video, captured by another security guard, the argument between the pair escalates as Mills taunts Lim and repeatedly tells him to “f*** off,” even as the latter was trying to show Mills the way out.
“There are three exit doors here… I am willing to show you, but you refused,” Lim can be heard saying before walking away.
The Briton then followed Lim while speaking to the camera on his phone — yes, he actually recorded himself doing this — and blocking Lim’s way. Mills then tried to trip Lim before hitting him in the face, causing him to fall to the floor and break his spectacles. At that point, Lim finally told the other security staff to call the police.
TODAY reported that Mills had downed a third of a bottle of whisky that night and returned to the mall to apologize to the security officer after first sobering up and confiding to his wife what had happened. That, of course, enabled the staff to identify him and refer him to the police.
During sentencing, the judge noted that Mills had returned to the scene to apologize, but described the attack as “entirely unprovoked” , The Straits Times reported.
The court also heard that Mills had voluntarily compensated Lim S$2,000 (US$1,500), which he used on medical expenses and new glasses.
Mills’ lawyer, Ramesh Tiwary, told the courtroom that Mills’ decision to return to apologize was proof of his remorse, and that his client had been dealing with depression.
“The surest sign of his remorse is the fact that he had returned to the scene when he realized what he had done and he had returned to the scene to apologize to the victim, even though he knew that by returning, it would lead to his own identification,” he said, according to ChannelNewsAsia.
“He realized when he saw the video how bizarre and unexplainable his behavior was,” Tiwary added. “He has been seeking medical help, he has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. I’m not saying there’s any causal link, but he’s taking steps to reform his behavior.“
While not stated expressly, that likely played a role in his not receiving what could have been a much heftier sentence for punching Lim. The charge for voluntarily causing hurt carries a maximum penalty of up to two years’ jail, a S$5,000 fine, or both.
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