Man jailed 12 months for striking another on head with rock

Kwek Kim Heng was jailed for 12 months for hitting another man with a rock after an altercation in April. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Unhappy that a man had not given him enough space to walk past, he trailed the victim, after an altercation, back to his block and hit him at the back of his head with a rock.

Kwek Kim Heng, 54, who is unemployed, was on Friday (Nov 11) jailed for 12 months after admitting to hurting Mr Ng Choon Lam with a palm-sized rock at the void deck of Block 219 Ang Mo Mio Avenue 1 on April 8, 2016, causing the 69-year-old to suffer a 2.5cm superficial cut on the back of his head.

Investigation showed that Mr Ng was walking his granddaughter home from school along the sheltered walkway of Block 207 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 that day when he encountered Kwek, who was walking in the opposite direction.

Kwek was not happy that the victim did not give him sufficient space to walk past. The parties got into an altercation, before being separated by a passer-by.

But Kwek was not placated. He picked up a rock, measuring 18cm by 16cm, from a nearby bush and followed Mr Ng and his granddaughter at a distance.

When the victim reached the void deck of Block 219, Kwek came from behind and struck the victim's head once with the rock. The victim began bleeding from the wound.

Mr Ng was treated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and given four days of outpatient medical leave.

District Judge Low Wee Ping told Kwek that he was "very vicious" for what he did.

A charge of exchanging g blows with the victim was taken into consideration.

Kwek, who has a previous conviction, could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined for causing hurt by means of an instrument, which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death.

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