Mandatory treatment report called for ex-CEO of Prive Group who assaulted teen
A report has been called to assess if the former chief executive of food and beverage firm The Prive Group, who assaulted and harassed a 13-year-old boy, will be suitable for mandatory treatment for bipolar disorder.
On Wednesday (March 2) a district judge called for the report after a psychiatric report from the defence showed that French national Vu Han Jean-Luc Kha's bipolar disease might have had a contributory link to his offences.
Offenders given a mandatory treatment order (MTO) will undergo treatment for their mental conditions in lieu of jail time.
Kha, now 44, was the chief executive of The Prive Group, which runs restaurant chain Prive, when he was convicted last year.
In renewing the defence's submission to call for an MTO suitability report to be made, Kha's lawyer Ms Teh Ee-von said that the psychiatrist found "a contributory link" between Kha's bipolar disorder and his offences.
"He perceived the victim making a remark when no one else did," she said, adding that the psychiatrist said this could have possibly been psychosis.
The court had earlier heard that Kha's attack was unprovoked.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Yong Ngee objected to the defence's submission, taking issue with the way facts, including whether or not the accused was intoxicated at the time, were given in a "piecemeal fashion" to the psychiatrist.
In calling for the report, District Judge Lim Tse Haw said the report was to determine if Kha suffered from bipolar disorder and whether this contributed to him committing the offences, as well as if he will be suitable for mandatory treatment.
Kha was last year convicted of one count of assault and another for harassment of the boy he met in a lift in November 2019.
The court heard then that the victim and his then 12-year-old brother were in a lift in Parklane Shopping Mall at Selegie Road on Nov 22, 2019, when the lift stopped on the fifth storey at around 8.15pm.
An intoxicated Kha and a Singaporean man, 41, joined the two boys inside the lift soon after. Kha then directed lewd comments at the victim, who felt alarmed.
DPP Goh said that for no apparent reason, Kha punched the victim on the left temple, causing the victim to fall backwards and slam his left upper arm into the elevator's handrails.
Kha then hurled vulgarities at the victim. The teenager grabbed Kha's hands to prevent him from hitting him again.
Kha exclaimed: "You want to challenge me? Why do you want to challenge me?"
The other man then held Kha back and pushed him out of the lift after it stopped on the first storey. But Kha refused to leave and slapped the victim on the left cheek.
A man who saw the attack detained Kha and the other man and called police.
The victim suffered injuries, including a bruised temple, and was still scared of taking a lift about a year later. He also experienced flashbacks of the attack and had difficulties sleeping.
For assault, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000.
For harassment, an offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $5,000.
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