12 fresh charges for woman who harassed nurse during pandemic, created ruckus at lion dance event

SINGAPORE — A woman, who was fined $4,000 in 2022 after harassing her neighbour — a nurse — amid the Covid-19 outbreak, now faces 12 charges for unrelated offences including multiple counts of assault.

Lim Sok Lay, 53, who was fined another $4,000 in 2025 after she caused a ruckus at her son's lion dance competition, is accused of committing her latest offences in 2024 and 2025.

She allegedly committed some of her offences with Jolene Cheang Wan Ling, 29, but court documents did not disclose how the pair were related to each other.

The cases involving both women were heard in court on Feb 5, and Cheang now faces 11 charges in all.

According to court documents, the two women were at One Punggol community hub in Punggol Drive between 9.30am and 10.15am on Sept 24, 2024 when they allegedly punched a person in the head and chased after another individual.

They are also accused of causing annoyance to others in the area that morning by shouting and gesticulating at a third person.

Lim was at the community hub on April 6, 2025 when she allegedly committed harassment by pointing her fingers and shouting at a fourth person — a woman.

Four days later, Cheang purportedly caused alarm to the same woman by making a Facebook post, stating that the latter would "get a few uncles to touch her thigh and private part for a few (hundred) dollars".

Cheang and Lim were in Edgefield Plains in Punggol at around 9am on July 18, 2025 when they allegedly kicked and pulled the hair of a fifth person.

The women are also accused of causing annoyance to others by shouting and gesticulating in the area.

Separately, Lim is said to have assaulted a sixth person - a male security officer - by punching the man that morning.

She also allegedly verbally abused the man and committed mischief by forcefully removing his body-worn camera worth more than $560.

By herself, Cheang allegedly walked aggressively towards a seventh person - a woman - and verbally abused her that morning.

Court documents stated that Lim was at a lock-up at Woodlands Police Division the next day when she allegedly refused to sign a statement she had made.

On July 20, 2025, she was at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) when she purportedly assaulted an eighth person — a man — by grabbing his lanyard to choke him.

Lim is also accused of scratching and biting the man.

Six days later, Cheang was at the IMH when she allegedly threatened to kill the family members of a ninth person.

Both Cheang and Lim were at a Suntec City supermarket on Aug 30 that year when they allegedly stole items worth nearly $54 in total including drinks and dried fruit.

Cheang is also accused of using insulting words on a 10th person at Marina Square shopping mall five days later.

The women's pre-trial conference will take place on March 3.

Lim and her husband first made the headlines when they harassed their neighbour, who was a hospital nurse, and his family in 2020.

The couple had shouted "Covid", "Covid spreader", "virus" and "virus family" at them. Lim also sprayed liquid disinfectant in their direction.

In February 2022, she was fined $4,000, while her husband was fined $1,200.

In July 2023, Lim disrupted her adult son's lion dance competition and caused more than $1,300 in damage to a costume.

Lim was fined another $4,000 in February 2025 after she pleaded guilty to one count of committing an act of mischief, and a separate charge of using criminal force on an acquaintance.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.