One more expat jumps bail and flees
The New Paper
Sunday, Feb 12, 2012
THE three expatriates are facing charges over a brawl at Suntec City in 2010, during which four people were assaulted.
But two of them have jumped bail and fled Singapore.
Robert Stephen Dahlberg, 34, an options broker, fled last July.
The New Paper has since learnt that Robert James Springall, 25, also an options broker, absconded while out on bail last December.
The trio were charged on July 7 last year and released on bail.
Nathan Robert Miller, 35, an Australian business development manager, was sentenced on Monday to three weeks' jail. He pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt by punching cabby Tay Gek Heng, 45, in the face.
One charge of disorderly behaviour was taken into consideration during sentencing.
A victim in the fracas, Mr Paul Louis Liew Kai Ming, 27, said he was disappointed and angry that a second man has fled the country.
He found out only after TNP contacted him yesterday.
Mr Liew suffered the worst injuries in the attack. His head hit against the sharp edge of a pillar, which resulted in a gash on his forehead and a broken nose.
The second-year law student of an Australian university had gone to help Mr Tay.
He said: "I feel ridiculed at the thought that I stepped up to help a fellow Singaporean but they (the accused) didn't have enough guts to face the court. I am full of rage right now."
It has been difficult trying to move past the incident and live with the memory of having his face hit against a pillar, Mr Liew said."I find it hard to stabilise my emotions and see a psychiatrist once a month to cope with the post-traumatic stress disorder which I have been diagnosed with," he said.
"For up to four months after the incident, I didn't dare to enter a lift with people standing behind me. If I really needed to share a lift, I would face everyone else with my back to the door.
"I would keep my hands on the door behind me and the minute it opened, I would leave quickly."
Post-traumatic stress
Mr Liew said the incident has also taken a toll on his studies.
While he used to score distinctions in school, he failed every assignment last semester, something that had not happened before Mr Liew, who is in Singapore for the term break, will return to Australia in two weeks.
"Even today, when I pass by the scene of the attack, I still shiver at the memory," he said.
Springall, a Briton, had applied to the court to leave Singapore for the United Kingdom between Aug 25 and Sept 5 last year. It was granted and his bail of $6,000 was doubled.
Springall returned to Singapore in September after his trip. It is not known if he had to surrender his passport to the police when he came back.
But TNP understands that he left Singapore in December without obtaining court permission. He has been on the run since and a warrant of arrest has been issued for him.
Springall, who was represented by Mr Lee Teck Leng, faced one charge each of using a taxi without the owner's consent, voluntarily causing hurt to another cabby, Mr Tan Boon Kin, 57, and failing to keep a proper lookout while driving the vehicle, resulting in a collision with a signage pole.
As for Dahlberg, he was given permission to leave for London and Hong Kong from July 11 to 29 last year.
The New Zealander, who was represented by Mr Sunil Sudheesan, was granted bail of $25,000.
He failed to return from the trip and a warrant of arrest was issued on Sept 12 last year.
It is not known where Dahlberg is, but according to a New Zealand Herald report last December, his family said he has no plans to return to Singapore.
Dahlberg faces one charge each of causing hurt by an act which endangers life and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
Mr Liew's friend, Mr Laurence Wong Seong, 39, a businessman, who was also injured in the brawl, was similarly upset.
Mr Wong, who had arranged for his friend Mr Tay to pick up the group, said: "We were helping the taxi driver and were not looking for trouble. Justice has not been served."
As for Miller, who stayed behind, Mr Liew said: "Maybe he has a conscience. At least for him, he won't have to watch his back for the rest of his life and wonder if he'll be caught."
When contacted, the police declined to comment on whether they have sought the help of Interpol to track down the pair.
A spokesman said: "Warrants of arrest have been issued for Robert Stephen Dahlberg and Robert James Springall. As the case is before the courts, we are unable to comment further on the details at this juncture."
The Subordinate Courts said that in the past three years, there have been no significant changes in the number of accused persons who jumped bail.
Said its spokesman: "On average, 150 accused persons jump bail annually."
Lawyer Josephus Tan said that an accused person's bail amount depends on the nature of the offence.
He said: "It depends on factors such as whether the accused person had jumped bail in the past or whether there's a higher likelihood that he or she will flee."
Mr Tan added that not all accused parties will have their passports impounded.
"However, passports belonging to foreigners usually are," he said.
Another lawyer, Ms Gloria James-Civetta, told TNP that an accused person will not face additional charges for absconding.
"But the judge will see the matter as an aggravating factor if he or she is later caught and dealt with in court," she said.
Singapore has an extradition agreement with Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand.
The authorities here have to track down their whereabouts before the Attorney-General's Chambers can put in a request for extradition.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
The New Paper
Sunday, Feb 12, 2012
THE three expatriates are facing charges over a brawl at Suntec City in 2010, during which four people were assaulted.
But two of them have jumped bail and fled Singapore.
Robert Stephen Dahlberg, 34, an options broker, fled last July.
The New Paper has since learnt that Robert James Springall, 25, also an options broker, absconded while out on bail last December.
The trio were charged on July 7 last year and released on bail.
Nathan Robert Miller, 35, an Australian business development manager, was sentenced on Monday to three weeks' jail. He pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt by punching cabby Tay Gek Heng, 45, in the face.
One charge of disorderly behaviour was taken into consideration during sentencing.
A victim in the fracas, Mr Paul Louis Liew Kai Ming, 27, said he was disappointed and angry that a second man has fled the country.
He found out only after TNP contacted him yesterday.
Mr Liew suffered the worst injuries in the attack. His head hit against the sharp edge of a pillar, which resulted in a gash on his forehead and a broken nose.
The second-year law student of an Australian university had gone to help Mr Tay.
He said: "I feel ridiculed at the thought that I stepped up to help a fellow Singaporean but they (the accused) didn't have enough guts to face the court. I am full of rage right now."
It has been difficult trying to move past the incident and live with the memory of having his face hit against a pillar, Mr Liew said."I find it hard to stabilise my emotions and see a psychiatrist once a month to cope with the post-traumatic stress disorder which I have been diagnosed with," he said.
"For up to four months after the incident, I didn't dare to enter a lift with people standing behind me. If I really needed to share a lift, I would face everyone else with my back to the door.
"I would keep my hands on the door behind me and the minute it opened, I would leave quickly."
Post-traumatic stress
Mr Liew said the incident has also taken a toll on his studies.
While he used to score distinctions in school, he failed every assignment last semester, something that had not happened before Mr Liew, who is in Singapore for the term break, will return to Australia in two weeks.
"Even today, when I pass by the scene of the attack, I still shiver at the memory," he said.
Springall, a Briton, had applied to the court to leave Singapore for the United Kingdom between Aug 25 and Sept 5 last year. It was granted and his bail of $6,000 was doubled.
Springall returned to Singapore in September after his trip. It is not known if he had to surrender his passport to the police when he came back.
But TNP understands that he left Singapore in December without obtaining court permission. He has been on the run since and a warrant of arrest has been issued for him.
Springall, who was represented by Mr Lee Teck Leng, faced one charge each of using a taxi without the owner's consent, voluntarily causing hurt to another cabby, Mr Tan Boon Kin, 57, and failing to keep a proper lookout while driving the vehicle, resulting in a collision with a signage pole.
As for Dahlberg, he was given permission to leave for London and Hong Kong from July 11 to 29 last year.
The New Zealander, who was represented by Mr Sunil Sudheesan, was granted bail of $25,000.
He failed to return from the trip and a warrant of arrest was issued on Sept 12 last year.
It is not known where Dahlberg is, but according to a New Zealand Herald report last December, his family said he has no plans to return to Singapore.
Dahlberg faces one charge each of causing hurt by an act which endangers life and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
Mr Liew's friend, Mr Laurence Wong Seong, 39, a businessman, who was also injured in the brawl, was similarly upset.
Mr Wong, who had arranged for his friend Mr Tay to pick up the group, said: "We were helping the taxi driver and were not looking for trouble. Justice has not been served."
As for Miller, who stayed behind, Mr Liew said: "Maybe he has a conscience. At least for him, he won't have to watch his back for the rest of his life and wonder if he'll be caught."
When contacted, the police declined to comment on whether they have sought the help of Interpol to track down the pair.
A spokesman said: "Warrants of arrest have been issued for Robert Stephen Dahlberg and Robert James Springall. As the case is before the courts, we are unable to comment further on the details at this juncture."
The Subordinate Courts said that in the past three years, there have been no significant changes in the number of accused persons who jumped bail.
Said its spokesman: "On average, 150 accused persons jump bail annually."
Lawyer Josephus Tan said that an accused person's bail amount depends on the nature of the offence.
He said: "It depends on factors such as whether the accused person had jumped bail in the past or whether there's a higher likelihood that he or she will flee."
Mr Tan added that not all accused parties will have their passports impounded.
"However, passports belonging to foreigners usually are," he said.
Another lawyer, Ms Gloria James-Civetta, told TNP that an accused person will not face additional charges for absconding.
"But the judge will see the matter as an aggravating factor if he or she is later caught and dealt with in court," she said.
Singapore has an extradition agreement with Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand.
The authorities here have to track down their whereabouts before the Attorney-General's Chambers can put in a request for extradition.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
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