SINGAPORE - A man was jailed for five months on Monday (June 19) after pushing a woman off an 0.8m high platform at their workplace, causing her to fall and fracture nine ribs.
Toh Chai Kian, 74, who pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act, committed the offence last October at the loading and unloading bay of bread producer Gardenia Foods at Pandan Loop.
At the time of the incident, he was a sub-contractor in charge of disposing unwanted bread for the company.
At around 4.30pm on Oct 12 last year, the victim, packer Tan Souk Bee, 64, was at the bay when she picked up a bag of bread from Toh's tray.
He became unhappy and she placed it back. A quarrel broke out between the pair and she walked away.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En said: "According to the victim, she also asked the accused why she could not look at the bread. Moments later, the accused went towards the victim.
"The accused then ran towards the victim and pushed (her) once on her back with force using both his hands, causing her to lose her balance and fall off the raised platform onto the ground below."
Toh then walked away and did not render any assistance to Ms Tan.
DPP Chong added that the pair did not know each other before this incident.
The victim was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where she was found to be suffering from multiple fractured ribs.
She was transferred to St Luke's Hospital on Nov 5 last year and is still recuperating there. The hospital has not given a discharge date, the court heard.
Stressing that she had suffered severe injuries, DPP Chong urged District Judge Eddy Tham to jail Toh for seven months.
Toh's lawyer, Mr Liau Chier Hion, who was assigned to the case under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, asked for his client to be jailed for four weeks.
Mr Liau told the judge that Toh is remorseful and had visited Ms Tan in hospital to apologise.
Before sentencing, Judge Tham said he agreed with the prosecution and noted that Ms Tan was "relatively senior".
He also noted that she is still in hospital eight months after the dispute.
For causing grievous hurt by committing a rash act, Toh could have been jailed for up to four years and fined up to $10,000.
