Jail for man who slashed another with chopper at Jalan Bukit Merah after consuming cannabis

After a drug-fuelled session, he became paranoid that an acquaintance wanted to harm him.

Nabil Erfan Kamil, 29, then grabbed a chopper from his kitchen and slashed the other 29-year-old man on the wrist, hand and knee.

The victim escaped when Nabil’s father intervened.

When he came to his senses, Nabil cried and said he wanted to apologise to the victim.

On Jan 11, Nabil was sentenced to 31 months’ and six weeks’ jail and six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to one count each of voluntarily causing hurt and voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon.

The court heard that Nabil had voluntarily consumed cannabis, a controlled drug, and suffered from cannabis use disorder.

At about 4pm on July 14, 2022, Nabil spotted the victim at the ground floor of Block 116 Jalan Bukit Merah and invited him up to chat outside the flat he was at.

Nabil, who was suffering from cannabis-induced psychotic disorder at the time, went to the kitchen and took a chopper with a 10cm handle and 20cm blade, which he hid behind his back.

The victim had been using his smartphone and did not notice Nabil returning.

Suddenly, he felt something on his neck, and looked up to see Nabil holding the chopper and slashing him.

He held up his hand to shield himself, but Nabil continued attacking the victim, shouting as he slashed the man’s wrist, hand and knee.

Nabil’s father rushed out and held him as the victim escaped.

Nabil told his father the victim had been staring at him and wanted to kill him.

He later came to his senses, and appeared confused.

When his father told him what he had done, Nabil cried and said he wanted to apologise to the victim.

The man suffered serious injuries which included deep cuts on his left wrist and knee, and an open fracture on his left hand. He has since recovered fully.

A report by the Institute of Mental Health said Nabil was not of unsound mind at the time of the offence, but that he had suffered psychotic symptoms from his cannabis use.

Before the incident, he had reported auditory hallucinations and paranoia after taking drugs.

Less than a year before the slashing, on Sept 13, 2021, Nabil had attacked a security guard at Rivervale Mall.

The security guard had spotted Nabil parking his vehicle at the loading bay that evening, and told him to not park there.

Nabil had gestured aggressively, then smacked the guard’s hand twice and kicked him.

Nabil only left the scene after a passerby intervened and calmed him down.

During sentencing on Jan 11, District Judge Wong Peck said it was entirely fortuitous the victim in the slashing incident recovered with no permanent damage.

She said while Nabil suffered from cannabis use disorder at the time of the offence, his intoxication was self-induced, and was an aggravating factor.

For voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon, Nabil could have been jailed for life, or for up to 15 years and fined.