Oops! Former Navy Seal poster in a bit of bother!

[Addadude]

Okay. Me being arguably bitchy but some of you may recall Mr. Ian Fitzgerald, a former Navy Seal, who was not terribly happy with the advice he received about volunteering his skills in this thread:
http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/viewto ... al#p701989

It appears that he got himself into quite a bit of trouble recently for beating up a taxi driver!

4 weeks jail and fine for former US Navy Seal who assaulted cabbie

http://singapore.coconuts.co/2015/11/02 ... ted-cabbie

[nakatago]

I liked the part where "the judge was not having any of that shit."

[sundaymorningstaple]

I remember that thread. He was a bit of a hot-head then as well. I'm surprised that's all they slapped him with. Sounds like he managed to get himself a student visa in order to stay here with his SPG. If I had been the judge, I'd have slapped him with assault with a deadly weapon as his hand to hand combat skills would have qualified him as such.

edited for rather strange English

[nakatago]

If I have of been the judge, I'd have slapped him with a deadly weapon

FTFY

[sundaymorningstaple]

[bgd]

And he is appealing. What are the chances of him getting an increased sentence?

[ecureilx]

And he is appealing. What are the chances of him getting an increased sentence?

50/50.

Personally I don't think there are many cases of appeals for assault being successful, and the prosecution will fight tooth and nail to increasing the current sentence.

[ecureilx]

I liked the part where "the judge was not having any of that shit."

That's added by the coconuts website

It's got a nice ring to the story though .

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'll go you 70:30 for the increase if he appeals. In fact, I believe the chances of a increase for one or both of the penalties is probably closer to 80%. Serve the douche right. Bet his fgf was suitably impressed by his 'prowess' in beating up the taxi driver.

[JR8]

All in all a curious story. I've known a couple of ex-special forces guys and they (IME) don't go around broadcasting the fact. In fact the flip-side seems to apply, if someone claims to be ex/special forces, then you can usually assume they aren't. [This might be down to how historically in the UK, the long-term IRA (Irish terrorists) threat meant such guys kept a low profile - don't know].

These that I've known have also been erm... understated, calm, i.e. not the kind of people to get drunk and 'boil over'.
Presumably when he posted his OP with his bio, he'd already been charged [?]. If so trying to find any volunteer work what-ever his visa status... might have been a lost cause from the off.

This forum still manages to surprise me at times...

[JR8]

... and once again I'm reminded of the film Apocalypse Now, (which is based upon Joseph Conrad's book 'Heart of Darkness', just scripted and adapted in a war setting for the much later film). HoD is the story a man in c1850s who was ex-patted from England to central Africa, in order to set up a trading-station. Alongside which he created a form of local 'mini-kingdom' that he ruled.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Darkness

A line from ANow. Captain Willard making an observation on one of his crew 'Chef':

Chef was from New Orleans. He was wound too tight for Vietnam. Probably, wound to tight for New Orleans.

Perhaps there is such a thing as 'wound too tight for Singapore'?... hmmm

[ecureilx]

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lai, who sought six to 10 weeks' jail on the hurt charge, said that Fitzgerald had assaulted a public transport worker, and that his acts of aggression were unprovoked and wholly unwarranted.

District Judge Low Wee Ping agreed that the assault was of a "sustained nature'' and that the attacks were repeated.

Judge Low found that the incident could be fairly and correctly described as "an almost one-sided assault'', and that Fitzgerald was the aggressor.
The maximum punishment for causing hurt is two years' jail and a $5,000 fine; and for mischief, one year and a fine.

[JR8]

... and maybe after being charged and prior to the hearing, such a person might seek to pretty-up their character by say ohhhh... volunteering? 'A cunning plan', but one an onlooker would perhaps spot a mile off.

And when such a cunning plan proves impossible, the temper again boils over...

[nakatago]

I liked the part where "the judge was not having any of that shit."

That's added by the coconuts website

It's got a nice ring to the story though .

In my imaginary version of Singapore, Singaporeans have a sense of humor and the authorities are badass.

[PNGMK]

All in all a curious story. I've known a couple of ex-special forces guys and they (IME) don't go around broadcasting the fact. In fact the flip-side seems to apply, if someone claims to be ex/special forces, then you can usually assume they aren't. [This might be down to how historically in the UK, the long-term IRA (Irish terrorists) threat meant such guys kept a low profile - don't know].

These that I've known have also been erm... understated, calm, i.e. not the kind of people to get drunk and 'boil over'.
Presumably when he posted his OP with his bio, he'd already been charged [?]. If so trying to find any volunteer work what-ever his visa status... might have been a lost cause from the off.

This forum still manages to surprise me at times...

Absolutely. In fact specific to Australia at least it's a criminal offense (Federal level) to disclose past service with certain 3/4 letter organizations and military branches. Anyone who claims to be an ex Navy Seal can actually be checked out online - there's a website where they are hunted down and called out - F Vesp (SMS will know him) is still rueing the day he claimed to be a Seal thanks to that website; and that was back in the late 90's!!!.