Flipped tables, broken bottles: 5 arrested for brawl in Hougang coffee shop

Chairs were thrown, tables were flipped and bottles were smashed as a violent brawl broke out at a coffee shop along Hougang Avenue 8 last Sunday night (Aug 9).

Four men and a woman, aged between 52 and 65, were arrested for their suspected involvement in the case of affray on Tuesday (Aug 11), police confirmed.

A video of the physical altercation was uploaded onto Facebook the same day they were arrested.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/reptileslover/videos/10223170794598906/[/embed]

In the clip, two men were captured trading blows with each other before a woman in red wedged herself between them and threw a chair.

As the two men continued to push and shove, flipping tables and tossing more chairs in the process, several others were heard screaming and shouting while throwing more objects into the fray.

A 50-year-old eyewitness told Lianhe Zaobao he had been having his meal when the fight broke out.

"Both parties started smashing glasses against each other. Afterwards, one person left, leaving behind a man in red bleeding from his head. He was sitting on the floor asking for help," he shared.

According to preliminary investigations, the two groups had a prior dispute, the police said. 

The offence of affray carries an imprisonment term of up to one year, a fine of up to $5000, or both.

rainercheung@asiaone.com