Man punched wife, held scissors to her face and cut her hair
Over a period of six months, a man frequently took his frustrations out on his wife, punching her in the eye and lip on several occasions.
But it was only when he held a pair of scissors to her face in the middle of an argument and started cutting her hair that she screamed for help and took shelter in her landlord's room in the flat.
On Tuesday (March 1), Mohamad Syafiq, 26, appeared in court via video-link from where he is being held in remand and was sentenced to 16 weeks' imprisonment.
Five other charges involving multiple incidents of abusing his wife, including grabbing her cheek, stepping on her ear and poking her eye while out in public, were taken into consideration for his sentencing.
He told the court that he and his wife, 22, are Malaysians working in Singapore to support their families and he assaulted her in rage as he was "tired and depressed in (his) situation" and "could not control (his) feelings".
The court heard that the abuse began on July 13 last year when the couple had a fight. At about 3am, Syafiq punched his wife in the right eye, leaving a bruise.
She took a photograph of the injury but did not see a doctor or report the incident to the police.
On Oct 14 last year at about 10am, the victim was getting ready to leave for work when she got into an argument with her husband.
"He wanted her to stay and punched her in the mouth for that reason," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng.
The victim suffered a bruised lip and took photos of the injury but again did not see a doctor or report the incident to the police.
On Jan 9 this year at about 5am, the victim woke up after her husband punched her right cheek.
He scolded her and told her she was testing his patience and making him angry. Syafiq left the room and returned with a pair of scissors.
He pointed the scissors towards her face and started cutting her hair while holding her head. He stopped for about five minutes but continued again, and his wife screamed for help.
The couple's landlord, who lived in the flat at the time, knocked on the door to see what was going on and the victim ran out of the room and into the landlord's for safety.
Urging the court to sentence Syafiq to 16 to 20 weeks' imprisonment, DPP Ng said: "The victim here is married to the accused, which should have made her feel safe and protected. Instead, she was subject to violence and intimidation."
He added that the accused displayed "a pattern of previously unreported domestic violence".
Syafiq said in mitigation: "I promise I won't reoffend and will improve myself for the sake of my wife and daughter."
District Judge Kessler Soh Boon Leng ordered a counsellor to speak with the couple to deter him from reoffending.
Syafiq's sentence was backdated to Jan 10, the date from which he was held in remand.
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