The managing director of a company, who was drinking with his business associates at a Clementi restaurant, got into a dispute with a 38-year-old man who asked them for cigarettes and tried to join in their conversation.

Joseph Fisher, 47, and his business associates were apparently discussing social issues, including gender issues in the United States.

After being chased away from the table, the man returned to argue with Fisher and once gave Fisher "a light slap on his left cheek".

Fisher retaliated by punching him in the face repeatedly till he was bloody.

Approached by stranger who asked for cigarette

According to court documents, Fisher, a Singapore Permanent Resident, was working as a managing director in Singapore at the time of the offences.

On the night of Jun. 22, 2023, he was drinking with three business associates at a table outside a restaurant along Clementi West Street 2.

They were having a private discussion on various topics including gender issues in the United States.

At around 10pm, the victim approached them and asked for a cigarette.

Fisher and his business associates told him they didn't have any, but the victim continued to talk to them and tried to join in their conversation.

They "humoured" him for a while but soon told him to leave them alone.

After being told several times to do so, the victim walked away from them.

According to court documents, during the conversation, the victim formed the impression that Fisher had asked him whether he "identified himself as non-binary".

Beat him up after getting a slap in a dispute

The victim returned at about 10:55pm and started speaking "aggressively" to Fisher.

As they got into a verbal dispute, the others asked the victim to leave, but he didn't.

At 10:58pm, Fisher gestured for the victim to go away, but he stepped towards him and "gave him a light slap on his cheek".

In response, Fisher stood up and punched him in the face several times, causing him to fall.

This repeated three more times, with Fisher pummelling the victim when he tried to get up, once on his head.

When one of the associates tried to restrain him by grabbing his arm, Fisher kicked the victim in the face instead.

Waiters intervened, police alerted

Two waiters who witnessed the fight tried to calm the duo down.

The victim then got up from the ground and left.

The police were informed about the incident at the restaurant at about 11pm by a member of the public.

The incident was also captured by CCTV.

Footage showed that the victim's face was bleeding as a result of Fisher's assault.

He did not seek medical treatment.

Response was "grossly disproportionate": Prosecution

Fisher pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt on Jun. 10.

The prosecution asked for a high fine to be imposed for Fisher's offences.

The prosecutor acknowledged that "there was some provocation" as the victim, but it wasn't "grave" enough for Fisher's "grossly disproportionate" response.

The prosecution also pointed out that Fisher had "repeatedly punched the victim and kicked him once", with his blows directed at the victim's face.

In mitigation, the defence lawyer pleaded for leniency on Fisher's part and said that he was "ashamed of his behaviour", according to Shin Min Daily News.

Fisher was fined S$4,000.

Top image from Shin Min Daily News