Sydney green grocer Karnadeep Singh pleads guilty to common assault charge

A Sydney green grocer was pushed to his wits end before slapping a customer, a court has heard.

Karnadeep Singh outside Burwood Local Court on February 14 after being sentenced for common assault. Picture: Hannah Farrow

A Sydney green grocer was pushed to his wits end before slapping a customer, a court has heard.

Karnadeep Singh, 39, pleaded guilty in Burwood Local Court on Friday to a charge of common assault after an altercation with Jinho Choi, 47 on November 29 last year.

The altercation occurred outside Eastwood Superfresh after Mr Choi demanded a refund for groceries he had purchased, claiming he found the same items cheaper at another shop.

Court documents state that Mr Choi had visited the store around 3.30pm to buy groceries, returning 20 minutes later to ask for a refund.

Singh advised Mr Choi the store could not issue a refund due to potential tampering of fresh produce due to health and safety policies.

Court documents state that Mr Choi, who was not charged with any offence, called Singh a “motherf***er” several times and threatened to leave a bad review on Google if he was not given his money back.

Singh asked Mr Choi to stop swearing and to leave the store.

The argument continued outside the store with Singh continuing to refuse Mr Choi’s demand for a refund before he was again called a “mother***er”, according to court documents.

The court heard Singh then slapped Mr Choi’s face.

When arrested by police Singh admitted assaulting the customer.

Magistrate Karen Jennifer Price stated in court on “it was very clear you were trying to appropriately deal with the customer for a significant period of time”.

The magistrate acknowledged Singh’s response was “understandable, but not excusable”.

“You snapped because you had enough,” she said.

The court heard that Singh, who has no prior criminal history, was handed a conditional release order without conviction for a period of two years.

Got a story tip? Email [e-mail]