SOURCE: The Straits Times

A teacher was talking to a student in school when another student slammed his shoulder against her.

Lim Ming Cheng walked away although the teacher, Ms Merlinda Laura Theseira, ordered him to stay put.

Lim, 17, was yesterday placed on probation for 11/2 years after pleading guilty early this month to using criminal force on Ms Theseira, 37.

The district court was not told why he committed the act on July 7, 2010 at Pei Cai Secondary School in Serangoon Avenue 4.

He also admitted to cheating with a counterfeit $10,000 note.

In May last year, an accomplice handed over the note to obtain three Apple iPhones from an undergraduate at Kovan MRT station.

There were no details on how the accomplice had got the note.

Charges against Lim for throwing down two metal poles from the second floor of the school in October 2010, and trespassing on the premises of a condominium in Yio Chu Kang in June last year, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court also ordered Lim – who is still a student in the school – to perform 130 hours of community service and to remain at home between 10pm and 6am daily.

His parents will forfeit a $5,000 bond if he misbehaves.

Defence lawyer Rajan Supramaniam told The Straits Times that Lim had apologised to the teacher and the relationship between them is now amicable.

Just for using criminal force on the teacher, he could have been jailed up to four years and fined up to $10,000.