Man who caused ruckus after Liverpool match jailed and fined for public nuisance, theft and affray

Andrew Wong
The Straits Times
April 17, 2024

Within a span of five months in 2023, a man caused a ruckus in public, stole from a pushcart stall and got into a fight.

Muhammad Hafeez Ayub, 30, was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and fined $2,800 on April 16 after pleading guilty to one charge each of public nuisance, theft and affray.

Three other charges, which were not mentioned, were taken into consideration.

Hafeez, who did not have a lawyer, told the court he had only 71 cents and could not pay the fine. He will serve an additional three weeks in jail in default of the fine.

The repeat offender was jailed for four weeks for theft in 2021. He was also fined $400 for being a public nuisance that year.

District Judge Hairul Hakkim Kuthibutheen warned Hafeez that his sentences would only get higher if he continues to break the law.

“For your theft in dwelling charge, you were given four weeks on your last offence. This time it is six weeks, and further convictions will continue to get higher and higher sentences,” the judge said.

Hafeez promised to get a full-time job and stay out of trouble.

The court heard that Hafeez was at Far East Plaza at 7.25am on July 22, 2023, when he saw a pushcart store. He lifted the canvas cover and took seven earphones and a smartwatch with a total value of $238.20.

The owner made a police report after she realised someone had broken into her pushcart and stolen some items.

On Aug 2, 2023, a witness made a police report about Hafeez having a verbal dispute with another person near Stadium MRT.

This took place after Liverpool beat Bayern Munich in a match at the National Stadium that ended at 9.35pm.

Hafeez shouted repeatedly while walking and gestured aggressively to several people who were heading towards the MRT station. He was seen wearing a Liverpool jersey in videos posted on social media at the time.

@sewyyyy41

In another case on Dec 22, 2023, a security guard at 313@Somerset alerted the police after seeing Hafeez fighting with another man close to midnight.

The fight was caught on the mall’s closed-circuit television. Court documents did not reveal why the two men came to blows.

Hafeez was arrested the next day and released on bail a day later.

Those found guilty of public nuisance can be fined up to $2,000.

If convicted of theft in dwelling, offenders face a jail term of up to seven years, a fine or both.

Those convicted of affray can be jailed for up to a year, or fined up to $5,000, or both.