British man stuck in Singapore with a pending jail sentence for not masking up

Benjamin Glynn, 39 who lives in Singapore, was secretly filmed by a fellow commuter while traveling unmasked on a train from work to home. The video was posted on social media, prompting the police to arrest him.

The father of two has been charged with causing public nuisance and was detained in police custody for 28 hours. His British passport has been confiscated and he now faces up to six months in jail if found guilty.

It is mandatory in Singapore to wear a mask in public with very few exceptions.

Jobless and Stuck

Glynn has been working as a recruiter for a British company based in Singapore since 2017 and has been living there with his partner and two children aged five and two.

He had resigned his Singaporean job and was scheduled to assume a new role back in the UK. That job offer has now been withdrawn as he failed to report to duty as planned.

His family has returned to the UK leaving him stuck in Singapore alone and frustrated.

I don’t believe there is any evidence that masks protect you from Covid-19. Normally I would just tell people I’m exempt and it had never posed any issues before. But now I’m stuck here without my family and I don’t even know when I will appear in court, never mind what my sentence will be.

He could spend as much as 12 months on bail before his trial commences. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is assisting him.