Man Jailed 10 Days for Smashing Beer Glass, Swinging Chair during Coffee Shop Brawl with Sister’s Ex-Husband

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Loh Huey Xin
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A man who became enraged after witnessing his sister being verbally abused by her ex-husband smashed a beer glass and swung a plastic chair during a heated confrontation at a coffee shop, resulting in a 10-day jail sentence handed down by the court on Friday (21 Mar 2025).

The 55-year-old defendant, Wen Jin San (name transliterated from Mandarin), appeared before the judge and admitted to one charge of fighting in public.

Here’s what happened.

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Incident at Marsiling Lane Coffee Shop

The altercation occurred on 1 Nov 2023 at approximately 10:15 PM at a bustling coffee shop located beneath Block 19, Marsiling Lane, where both men had coincidentally chosen to spend their evening with separate groups of friends.

According to case details presented in court, the defendant’s sister’s ex-husband, Lee Hong Chuan (name transliterated from Mandarin), 52, was enjoying beers with his companions.

The defendant was also consuming alcoholic beverages with his group of friends at a table positioned very close to where Lee was sitting.

Wen became increasingly disturbed when he noticed Lee engaged in what appeared to be a heated argument with his sister.

He perceived that Lee was raising his voice and behaving in an intimidating manner toward her.

In a sudden outburst fueled by protective anger for his sibling, Wen forcefully smashed his beer glass onto the floor and immediately rose to his feet, aggressively pointing his finger directly at Lee while shouting across the coffee shop.

This provocative display of aggression instantly made Lee angry, prompting him to rush towards Wen.

The defendant responded by grabbing a nearby plastic chair and wildly swinging it in Lee’s direction, narrowly missing other innocent bystanders who were seated close to the unfolding chaos.

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Lee managed to deflect the chair with his hands before landing a direct punch to Wen’s face, which then led to a brawl that eventually resulted in the defendant being knocked to the ground.

While Wen lay defenceless on the floor, Lee continued his assault by repeatedly striking him in the face, and this violent exchange only came to a halt when two of Lee’s friends finally intervened by physically separating the two.

Second Confrontation Prevented

The situation threatened to reignite when Wen regained his footing and immediately reached for an empty beer bottle, clearly intending to use it as a weapon against Lee.

Not to be outdone, Lee simultaneously armed himself with another plastic chair from nearby.

Just as the two were poised to launch into a second round of potentially more dangerous fighting, Lee’s friends managed to restrain Wen and forcibly remove the bottle from his grasp, effectively bringing an end to the confrontation before it could escalate further.

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Both men departed from the coffee shop shortly after the incident, leaving behind a scene of disruption and concern among the other customers.

CCTV footage that was subsequently played during the court proceedings clearly showed that numerous patrons had witnessed the entire violent exchange, potentially putting many innocent people at risk of harm.

The defence lawyer representing Wen earnestly appealed for leniency from the court, emphasizing that Lee had been the first to physically charge toward Wen and had thrown the initial punch that sparked the physical confrontation.

The lawyer further highlighted the fact that Wen had sustained more serious injuries than Lee as a result of the fight.

Despite these mitigating arguments, the presiding judge firmly stated that both parties bore equal responsibility for the public disturbance.

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The judge noted that neither man had shown restraint or willingness to de-escalate the situation, as they only ceased fighting when third parties stepped in to separate them.

The judge also emphasized that their reckless actions had placed many members of the public in potential danger, which could have resulted in more serious charges had any bystanders been injured during their violent exchange.

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