Man admits swinging drunk female friend to the ground; victim later dies from head injury

Frustrated at his friend who was drunk outside a club, Jason Ong Bing Qi grabbed and swung her forcefully to the ground, and left her lying there motionless.

With the help of passers-by, the woman managed to return home, where she was pronounced dead later that same day.

An autopsy revealed that she had suffered injuries including a fracture on her skull and a bruise on her brain.

On Dec 19, Ong, 33, pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt which causes grievous hurt.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh said the woman – referred to in court documents as Joey – went drinking with three friends at Club VOX at Magazine Road on Nov 5, 2022, at about 10.15pm. At the club, they chanced upon Ong whom Joey had known since early 2022.

Joey’s friends headed home between midnight and 1am.

Ong asked Joey if she wanted to leave the club with him, and she agreed.

When they left at about 1.20am, Joey appeared to be dragging her feet.

Said DPP Koh: “The accused knew that the deceased was drunk and she was mumbling when she talked.”

After Ong could not book a Grab ride for them to his place, he tried to flag a taxi. Joey leaned heavily against him and, holding on to him, suddenly sat on the ground.

After Ong managed to pull her up, Joey squatted down and refused to get up or walk farther.

Said DPP Koh: “Frustrated and angry, the accused took the deceased’s phone and threw it on the grass patch nearby,”

Joey retrieved her phone and pushed Ong away, saying she wanted to go home. She also repeatedly refused his offer to send her home.

Frustrated with the situation, Ong suddenly grabbed Joey with both hands and swung her body onto the ground forcefully.

Joey landed on her back and lay motionless on the ground. Ong did not check on her condition and instead walked back to the club.

At about 2am, passers-by discovered Joey, still lying motionless on the ground. Joey was brought to a nearby sheltered walkway and did not reply when she was spoken to.

Around the same time, Joey received a call from her friend who had been with her at the club and she was able to answer it on speaker mode.

The friend arranged with one of the passers-by, who was a Grab driver, to send Joey home for $50.

After the driver brought Joey up to her home, her maid placed her on her bed, cleaned her up with a wet towel and changed her clothes.

Her husband returned home at about 3.30am and heard her snoring. He slept beside her that night without waking her.

At around 11am, Joey was observed to be still snoring and her body was warm to the touch. At 3pm, when her husband returned home from lunch, he realised that she was no longer snoring.

Her eyes were open but she did not respond when he nudged her, and her body was cold to the touch.

He called 995 and tried resuscitating her.

After the arrival of paramedics and the police, Joey was pronounced dead.

On Nov 8, 2022, Ong left Singapore to go to Thailand, because he felt stressed after receiving calls from his friends and the police regarding his involvement with Joey, DPP Koh said.

He returned to Singapore on Nov 11, 2022, and was arrested on the same day.

In the course of investigations, Ong admitted that he had swung Joey’s body as he was frustrated with the situation, and that he had used too much strength.

Surveillance footage showed he had swung Joey so forcefully that it caused her body to flip over during mid-fall. A forensic pathologist said that the injuries found on her would be consistent with being sustained from the incident.

In court on Dec 19, DPP Koh noted that while Ong has a criminal record which includes driving-related offences, he does not have a history of committing violence-related ones.

She asked the court to sentence Ong to between 36 and 42 months’ jail, saying that the aggravating factors were Joey’s vulnerability – she was of a small stature and intoxicated – and Ong’s self-induced intoxication.

However, she also noted Ong’s remorse and that he was cooperative during investigations after he returned to Singapore.

He is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on Jan 16, 2024.

For voluntarily causing hurt which causes grievous hurt, Ong can be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $10,000, or both.