Reports said a 48-year-old bus driver died 11 or 12 days after an alleged assault at Amoy Gardens, as the murder trial of a 52-year-old renovation worker continued at the High Court. The prosecution said in its opening statement that a forensic examination confirmed head trauma as the direct cause of death.
The renovation worker is accused of murdering the driver on 1 October 2023 and denies the charge. The alleged dispute began when the driver objected to a man smoking while they were in or waiting for a lift at Amoy Gardens.
The court heard that the driver argued with the smoker, left the lift and was punched. He fell and was then kicked before the other man left. The driver reported the incident to police and was taken to United Christian Hospital, but later became unconscious and died.
A police witness told the court that the driver had facial abrasions, a bleeding nose, and abrasions on his fingers and elbow that were bleeding when officers arrived. The witness said the driver reported that an unknown smoker had punched him after an argument and continued kicking him after he fell.
The driver's wife told the court that he described an argument over smoking and said the attacker repeatedly kicked his head after he fell. During cross-examination, she agreed that he had smoked in the past but had quit.