S'porean woman, 54, gets 6 months' jail for assaulting 3 people near preschool, previously fined for harassing nurse neighbour during pandemic

Repeat Offender Sentenced to Jail for Assaulting Three People Near Preschool

A 54-year-old Singaporean woman, Lim Sok Lay, has been sentenced to six months and two weeks' jail for assaulting three people and being a public nuisance near a preschool. This is not her first offense, as she was previously fined for harassing her nurse neighbour during the pandemic.

Lim's latest offenses were committed with her daughter, Jolene Cheang, who was also sentenced to five months' jail and a fine of S$1,500 for her role in the incidents. The two women were found guilty of assaulting a security officer, being a public nuisance, and voluntarily causing hurt to a security officer.

The incidents occurred on multiple occasions, with the most recent one taking place on September 24, 2026. Lim and Cheang were seen shouting and gesticulating at a pre-school teacher and her students, who were waiting to board the lift at One Punggol community hub. They also chased a passer-by with the intention of physically attacking him.

The attack was captured on CCTV footage, which showed Lim and Cheang grabbing the passer-by's arms and hitting him on the head multiple times. The security officer intervened and stopped the attack.

In a separate incident, Lim and Cheang were seen shouting profanities and gesticulating at a preschool in Edgefield Plains, Punggol. They also pulled a domestic worker's hair and punched a security officer.

The court documents revealed that Lim and Cheang had a history of conflict with security officers at Sparkletots. They had previously sent Cheang's son into the school premises and walked past the security officers, taking videos of them. Lim hurled vulgarities at the security officer, while Cheang attempted to snatch his phone away.

The security officer called for assistance through his walkie-talkie, and a couple who were taking their four-year-old son to another pre-school nearby heard the commotion. The husband told Cheang not to use vulgarities, but instead of stopping, Cheang walked up to the wife and said: 'f*ck you and this is not your problem'.

The husband called the police, and as Cheang and Lim were walking away from the situation, they bumped into a Filipino domestic worker who was taking her employer's son to the same preschool as Cheang's son. They tried to ask the domestic worker if they could speak to her employers, but she refused, and a scuffle arose.

Lim and Cheang proceeded to pull the domestic worker's hair, prompting eyewitnesses, including the 51-year-old security officer, to intervene. The security officer told Lim and Cheang that he had a body-worn camera recording the incident, and Lim grabbed the camera off the officer and punched him on his left ear.

The mother-daughter duo was arrested later that day and ordered to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). While at IMH, Lim refused to return to her cubicle after speaking to Cheang as she was a co-accused. A crisis alert team was activated soon after.

Lim was initially cooperative but turned aggressive after she heard Cheang screaming in the background. Lim kicked around before grabbing the lanyard of a 58-year-old Filipino nurse, causing him to have breathing difficulties until another staff nurse managed to intervene and break the lanyard.

Lim also scratched him on his left collarbone and bit him on his elbow. IMH staff restrained Lim using restrainers and rapid tranquilisation.

The victim sought treatment and was diagnosed with a scrape on his left forearm and bruising behind his right ear.

This case highlights the importance of maintaining public order and respecting the rights of others. It also raises concerns about the behavior of individuals who may be a threat to public safety.