SINGAPORE, Nov 6 — A practising lawyer pleaded guilty today in the State Courts to harassment following an alcohol-fuelled incident at Singapore’s Zouk nightclub in 2022.

According to the Straits Times, Tony Tan Soon Yong, 41, had been involved in a scuffle on July 2, 2022, which left him bleeding from the head.

After the altercation, Tan was approached by police officers, but instead of cooperating, he hurled verbal abuse at one officer for seven minutes.

He is accused of saying "as a matter of law, you cannot touch me,” and demanding the officer seek his permission before taking his statement.

Tan was fined S$3,000 (RM9,903) for harassment, with two other charges of voluntarily causing hurt taken into consideration.

The court heard that Tan, intoxicated and unsteady on his feet, had been involved in an argument inside the club, during which he punched another man twice in the face and struck a security staff member.

When police arrived, Tan became confrontational, identifying himself as a lawyer and threatening to sue the officer, while also taunting the officer to arrest him.

The exchange was recorded on the officer’s body-worn camera, and Tan was arrested.

In mitigation, Tan’s lawyer, Christine Low, argued that the head injury sustained during the scuffle was not an excuse for his behaviour but noted that the incident was out of character for Tan, who had an "unblemished” record.