M. Ravi 'cannot be allowed to hide behind' bipolar disorder

He verbally insulted a saleswoman when she could not hear him during a conversation, slapped an acquaintance who wanted to come up to greet him, and pushed over a restaurant waitress who asked if he wanted a drink.

On July 17, disbarred lawyer Ravi Madasamy, or M. Ravi, pleaded guilty to nine charges for multiple offences he had committed from January 2022 to September 2023.

These include six counts of voluntarily causing hurt, one for harassment, one for using criminal force, and one for causing public nuisance. Ten other charges will be taken into consideration for his sentencing in August.

Ravi was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006.

During the hearing, District Judge Luke Tan asked both the prosecution and the defence to state their positions over Ravi’s condition and the weight that it should be granted.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Timotheus Koh said little to no weight should be given to Ravi’s bipolar disorder for his offences.

The prosecutor said while they recognise Ravi suffered from the mental disorder, multiple attempts have been made to help him.

Ravi had three sets of convictions in 2004, 2009 and 2018 where he was given fines and a mandatory treatment order.

The offences ranged from disorderly conduct and mischief to housebreaking and voluntarily causing hurt.

Seeking a jail term between 18 and 24 weeks, along with a $3,000 fine, DPP Koh said: “This is a case where there have been repeated failures and breaks in compliance in (Ravi’s) treatment regime… there must be a line drawn somewhere.

“Mr Ravi cannot be allowed to hide behind this condition. There must be some responsibility taken and now is the time. We are at a point where stiffer sentences are required.”

In response, Ravi’s defence lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam said the case and Ravi’s medical condition were complex.

Said Mr Thuraisingam: “It’s inherent in the condition that there will be relapses. During a manic episode, individuals do not perceive they are ill. They can vehemently reject treatment.”

He pointed out that even though Ravi had continued with his follow-ups and medication around June 2022, he still suffered from a relapse.

The district judge then asked if an alternative for Ravi is incapacitation, as the defence was arguing that treatment does not help him.

This could mean a more substantial jail term in Ravi’s case, for the protection of the public if treatment is not helping his condition.

Mr Thuraisingam said incapacitation cannot be the answer in this case, because it was undisputed that the harm caused in Ravi’s offences were low, and there is a causal link with his bipolar disorder.

During mitigation, the veteran lawyer argued that Ravi has grappled with the mental condition nearly his entire professional life, resulting in financial and criminal repercussions.

But he said Ravi always managed to turn his life around.

“Each time he has suffered from this condition, he has picked up his life, put the pieces together and moved on. We know he has argued successful capital cases and constitutional issues,” the lawyer said.

“These are issues that affect the lives of the common man, that’s why I say he has contributed good to the society. Some weight should be given to that,” he added.

Ravi’s current charges involve offences that took place over a period of more than 1½ years.

On Jan 22, 2022, Ravi was at a boutique shop in Joo Chiat when he became agitated when a saleswoman said she could not hear him, thereafter insulting her verbally.

On Feb 11, 2022, he was at a bookstore at Upper Cross Street when an acquaintance spotted him and approached him to greet him. Ravi became agitated and slapped the man in the face.

While at Sri Mariamman Temple in South Bridge Road on July 9, 2023, he hurled vulgarities at one man, and shoved another, after he had pushed himself to the front of a line and threw the offerings on the floor.

He went back to the same temple on Sept 15, 2023, to buy some items but ended up slapping a shop assistant after getting agitated.

On July 11, 2023, Ravi was having a meal at a restaurant in South Bridge Road when he became agitated after a waitress asked if he wanted coffee or tea after his meal.

He pushed her to the ground, causing her to bleed on the back of her head, before verbally abusing the restaurant manager.

On July 12, 2023, the police was called to Yio Chu Kang MRT station after multiple reports were made against Ravi and his disruptive behaviour. He agreed to leave when the officers arrived, but later got into a dispute with an SMRT employee and slapped the man in full view of the police.

Ravi will return to the State Court on Aug 2 for his sentencing.