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Man who defied police officers by not wearing mask in City Square Mall fined $8,000

A photo showing a man taking off a face mask. (Getty Images file photo)
A photo showing a man taking off a face mask. (Getty Images file photo)

SINGAPORE — A Singapore permanent resident was fined $8,000 after he repeatedly failed to mask up in public when it was mandatory under COVID-19 measures, according to local media reports.

Philip Richard Mockridge, 55, had refused to wear a mask in a MOS Burger outlet in City Square Mall on 16 May last year, after police officers had approached him and told him to do so.

The Briton pleaded guilty on Thursday (18 August) to one charge under the COVID (Temporary Measures) Act.

Mockridge was in the mall when he was approached by two police officers who were responding to a call about an individual who refused to mask up.

At that time, Mockridge did not have any food or beverage with him but had pulled down his mask to his chin. Despite being repeatedly asked by the officers to wear a mask, Mockridge did not do so for the next 15 minutes and walked away unmasked.

At the time of the offence, he was under investigation for two similar offences, which were taken into consideration for his sentencing. Mockridge had previously failed to mask up at least twice in Sengkang MRT station in November 2020 and in Serangoon MRT station about a month later.

For each offence, he could have been jailed up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.

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