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SINGAPORE - A lorry driver threw sand and hurled vulgarities at a traffic warden who had issued him a summons for illegal parking.
R. Nagulan, 47, yesterday pleaded guilty to abusing a public servant on June 17 this year.
He had parked his lorry in a spot on Hampshire Road that had a continuous white line, and left the lorry's hazard lights flashing.
When he returned at about 5.30pm, he saw a summons notice on the vehicle's windscreen, and demanded an explanation from Cisco parking warden Nedun Seziyan, 48, who issued it.
Despite being told that he had parked his lorry illegally, and that the officer was just doing his job, Nagulan flew into a rage, crushed the summons slip and repeatedly uttered vulgarities in Tamil.
He took a handful of sand from a grass patch nearby and threw it at the Malaysian parking warden.
Nagulan also refused to give his personal particulars when asked.
The court heard that he kept asking the warden why he could not be given a chance, since they are both Indians.
Nagulan has a string of offences from 1982 to 2007, including drug cases, cheating and theft.
In court yesterday, he was unrepresented, and asked for time to celebrate Deepavali this month and give a written mitigation.
His case will be mentioned again on Nov 19.
Upon conviction, he faces a maximum fine of $5,000 or up to a year in jail.
The Sunday Times reported about a month ago that cases of verbal and physical abuse against Cisco traffic wardens were on the rise.
There were 19 police reports filed by traffic wardens last year, and six are under investigation.
This year, 22 reports have been made so far, and 15 cases are under investigation.
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