An argument over whether an eight-year-old boy was too old to use the women’s toilet escalated into a physical fight between two women.

After the fight, one of the women, the mother of the boy, even drove her car at the other woman and her friend when she spotted them at a zebra crossing — stopping right before hitting them.

What happened

The incident occurred on Jul. 5, 2022, at ESR Bizpark @ Chai Chee.

W, 39, took her eight-year-old son to the building for basketball lessons.

While court records do not show a gag order on the woman’s identity, her name has been redacted from documents seen by Mothership.

According to Section 112 of the Children and Young Persons Act, a person must not publish or broadcast any information relating to any proceedings in any court that includes any particulars that are calculated to lead to the identification of any child or young person concerned in the proceedings, unless a court specifically orders to allow the publication of the information in the interests of justice.

Used women's toilet

At about 3pm, W’s asked her son to use a women’s toilet on the third floor.

Court documents did not indicate why she didn't ask him to use a men's toilet instead.

Tan Siok Khim Irish, 33, and her colleague were in the toilet when the boy entered.

After the two women left the toilet, W overheard Tan’s colleague telling Tan that she thought the boy was too old to be using the women’s toilet, and he should have used the men’s toilet at the other end.

The four of them ended up taking the same lift down to the ground floor.

'Comments' turned physical

W then “loudly exclaimed” in the lift that there was no issue with her son using the women’s toilet.

After W "commented” about Tan’s appearance, stating that she looked “androgynous”, Tan started to quarrel with her.

At one point, W swung her hand towards Tan and broke Tan’s facemask.

Tan’s colleague separated the two women and alighted with Tan when the lift arrived at the ground floor.

W hit Tan’s colleague on the back a few times while they were exiting the lift. Upon seeing the blows, Tan pulled her colleague aside at the lift lobby and continued to quarrel with W.

During this, W said Tan’s mother “ought to be ashamed” for having a daughter like her.

Angered by the remarks, Tan pushed W in the chest, causing W to fall backwards.

Tan and her colleague left afterwards.

Mother of boy drove her car at the two women

W subsequently got into her car, drove around the building to search for Tan and her colleague, and found them at a zebra crossing.

Upon spotting them, W drove against the traffic to accelerate her car at Tan and her colleague.

She stopped right before hitting them and alighted to confront Tan again.

W grabbed Tan’s T-shirt and told her not to leave until the police arrived.

In a medical report dated July 20, 2022, Tan was noted to have bruises on her right cheek, a contusion near her lips and abrasions on both sides of her neck.

One gets S$3,000 fine, another gets S$1,000 fine

W pleaded guilty to a charge of using criminal force on Tan and a charge of rash act endangering the personal safety of others on Sep. 29, 2023.

Another charge of using criminal force on Tan’s colleague was considered for sentencing.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the prosecution submitted a S$3,000 fine for W, as even though no one was severely injured, she was the one who started the fight.

W’s lawyer pleaded for a fine of S$2,300, stating that W had no prior criminal record and cooperated fully with the authorities during investigations.

W was sentenced to a S$3,000 fine.

Tan was handed a S$1,000 fine on Sep. 18, 2023, after pleading guilty to a charge of using criminal force on W.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News & Google Maps