Jail, caning for teen who slashed man while out under supervision
A teenager, who was convicted of robbery in 2019 and ordered to undergo reformative training, was out under supervision when he slashed a man with a knife, causing serious injuries.
The recalcitrant offender, who turned 20 in December 2022, was on Tuesday sentenced to three years and two months’ jail with two strokes of the cane.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to offences including voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon and being a member of a secret society.
Before the attack, he was detained in a centre over the robbery. When he was released under supervision in May 2021, he was fitted with a Global Positioning System tag to monitor his movements.
The youth, who was 18 at the time, was also ordered to remain indoors from 11pm to 6am every day.
But in Nov 2021, he ganged up with a 21-year-old man to attack the 37-year-old victim who suffered injuries including multiple deep wounds on his scalp, a fractured left knee and a ruptured tendon in his left little finger.
In earlier proceedings, the prosecution said: “The victim suffered a total of at least 11 lacerations. (One was) was so deep that it penetrated his kneecap and caused an open fracture.”
The offender cannot be named as he had joined the gang in June 2014 when he was just 11 years old. Offenders below 18 are covered under the Children and Young Persons Act.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Lim Yu Hui and Bryont Chin stated in court documents that the offender and his 21-year-old fellow gang member were hanging out on Nov 14, 2021, when they started talking about the 37-year-old man.
The prosecutors added: “They bore grudges towards him and believed he owed them money. The (younger offender) also thought the victim had belittled his secret society, and the co-accused had previously fought with the victim.”
Realising the victim would be attending a wedding at a Depot Road temple that evening, the pair hatched a plan to attack him there. At around 8.45pm, they met in Ang Mo Kio, and the younger offender bought two knives with serrated edges.
They took a private-hire car to the temple and spotted their victim talking to some people in Depot Walk.
The prosecutors said: “They brandished the knives and ran towards him. The victim ran away towards Depot Road, and they gave chase.
“The victim fell at one point. The accused and co-accused slashed him when he fell, but the victim managed to get up and run away.”
They slashed the victim’s back as he tried to get away, and he eventually fell on a grass patch. His assailants continued slashing him until he lost consciousness.
The DPPs told the court: “The slashing took place in full view of other members of the public. They stopped only when the (older attacker) told the accused that they should stop and flee.”
The police, who received multiple calls about the incident that evening, arrested the pair the next day.
The victim was taken to the Singapore General Hospital and was given hospitalisation leave until Dec 8, 2021.
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