‘Both women behaved gloomy’

Shaffiq Alchatib
The Street Times
October 17, 2024

A female cyclist who jumped onto the bonnet of a car and clung to it during an argument with a driver on East Coast Road in June 2023 was ordered to serve a short five-day prison term on October 17. Offenders who receive an SDO are jailed for a short period of time, but upon release they will no longer have a criminal record.

Nicolette Tan Shi-en, 33, who was a lawyer at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty in April to a harassment charge involving the driver, Elaine Michele Ow, 49.

One case of causing a nuisance along the road was taken into account when sentencing.

The incident was captured on a video that went viral in June 2023.

Emphasizing that Tan’s behavior cannot be condoned, District Judge Janet Wang said in her October 17 judgment: “As a legal professional, the suspect (Tan) is well versed in traffic rules and regulations. And it was precisely her perception of a traffic violation by Ow that caused her confrontation with the latter.

“The suspect chose to remain in front of Ow’s vehicle to prevent her from fleeing the scene. It was a misplaced sense of willfulness that went wrong… The suspect and Ow had exhibited antisocial and disruptive behavior on public roads. Both women behaved sullenly.”

Ow, a cooking instructor, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of committing a rash act to endanger the personal safety of others. She will be sentenced at a later date.

In previous proceedings, the court heard that Tan had been diagnosed with a brain tumor shortly after the incident. The tumor, which has since been removed, was benign.

Lawyer Sanjiv Rajan of Allen & Gledhill told the court in April that the development of the tumor in the frontal region of Tan’s brain most likely influenced her behavior on the day of the crime.

But in her judgment, Judge Wang noted that based on a doctor’s report, there was no causal or contributory link between Tan’s mental state, the brain tumor and the commission of the crime.

She added: “Combined with the fact that the defendant was gainfully employed as a lawyer at the time, I am not convinced that the presence of the brain tumor had impaired her cognitive function and judgment in a personal capacity.”

On the day of the incident, June 2, 2023, Ow was on her way to i12 Katong shopping center to teach at around 3.10pm when she overtook Tan, who was cycling, on the bend from Still Road to East Coast Road.

Tan felt that Ow’s car was too close to her and said, “Excuse me, look at it!”

Tan caught up with Ow at a red light intersection at East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road and confronted her. Tan then stood in front of Ow’s car.

In car camera video shown in court, Tan can be heard asking why Ow had overtaken her in the bend.

Ow apologized to Tan, saying she was late for her class, and asked Tan why she was acting so aggressively.

Ow tried to back up and switch off a few times, but Tan blocked her attempts by getting closer to the car.

Ow then tried to go around Tan on the left, but came into contact with her bicycle. The pair struck up another conversation before Ow got out of her car to carry Tan’s bike to the side of the road.

When Ow tried to drive away, Tan jumped on the hood of the car, holding the windshield wiper.

As Ow drove for about 100 meters at a speed of about 20 km/h, Tan banged on the windshield and shouted for Ow to stop. Ow stopped the car when she reached the entrance to the mall.

Both women were charged in court later that month.