Chair, forks & spoons thrown during Jurong West coffee shop fight: Woman, 55 & man, 60, arrested for public nuisance

A man and a woman were arrested for public nuisance after they got into a physical altercation at a coffee shop in Jurong West on Mar. 12.

According to Chinese language daily Shin Min Daily News, the incident took place at around 4pm at a coffee shop at Block 494 Jurong West Street 41.

The dispute allegedly began as an argument between a male diner and a female employee from a nasi padang stall, before escalating into a physical confrontation.

The police were eventually called down.

Physical brawl

When Shin Min reporters arrived at the scene, both individuals were still present.

The woman was seated at a nearby stairwell with a police officer beside her, while the man was seated some distance away and was being questioned.

The owner of the coffee shop, surnamed Zhou (transliteration), said in an interview with Shin Min that the dispute between the two parties arose due to issues with seating arrangements.

In the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage she shared, the man could be seen sitting in the corner eating, when the woman suddenly approached him and appeared to say something while pointing at him.

The man then stood up and slapped her across the face.

Refusing to back down, the woman retaliated by pushing him and throwing a chair at him twice, and the two then got into a physical brawl.

Another video showed the woman picking up a basket of spoons and forks from in front of the stall and throwing it at the man's face.

He attempted to shield himself from the items, after which the woman threw a bucket lid at him as she backed away.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed receiving a call for assistance at Block 494 Jurong West Street 41.

A 55-year-old woman was conveyed conscious to the hospital.

The woman and a 60-year-old man were subsequently arrested for public nuisance and police investigations are ongoing.

Conflicting accounts

The nasi padang stall owner, Noorlin, explained to Shin Min that she would usually lay out food items on several tables during Ramadan and the man had been seated at one of the tables.

She said that when her employee asked the man to vacate the table, he refused and allegedly attacked her.

Noorlin added that the employee felt dizzy after the altercation and was taken to an ambulance for examination.

Several other stallholders interviewed said the man was a regular customer and had not previously had conflicts with staff.

Noorlin also said he had visited her stall before without causing trouble.

However, sources claimed the man had been quietly eating in the corner and was not disturbing anyone.

Instead, the woman had allegedly spoke to him in a rude manner and the two got into an argument after the man said he would leave once he finished his meal.

Witnesses also claimed the employee verbally abused the man before he assaulted her.

Noorlin denied the allegations, saying the employee did not verbally abuse the man and that he suddenly attacked her.

Stallholders said the scuffle left tableware and chairs scattered across the floor.

Vendors and workers tried to intervene, and the pair were separated by the time police arrived.

Zhou said it was fortunate that there were few customers at the time and that the incident did not significantly disrupt operations.

Top photos from Shin Min Daily News