1 year's jail for man who stomped on then wife's head, causing facial fractures

SINGAPORE - A self-employed man who stomped on his then wife's head in front of their two young children at Pending LRT station was sentenced on Friday (March 20) to a year's jail.

The 35-year-old woman suffered facial fractures and passers-by had to step in the help her in the 2018 incident. The couple have since divorced.

In sentencing the 36-year-old man, District Judge Seah Chi-Ling said the attack was "violent and sustained" and that it involved a vulnerable part of the woman's body.

The judge also noted that the attack had caused "significant public disquiet".

On Nov 26 last year, the man pleaded guilty to one count each of causing grievous hurt to the woman and breaching a personal protection order (PPO) against him.

The man had been subjected to the PPO issued in July 2013, under which he was not to use violence against his wife and their son.

The man cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the identities of the children.

The couple were facing marital problems at the time and the woman had been staying at her parents' home.

On Aug 26, 2018, at around 10pm, the couple were at Pending LRT station with their son and daughter, then seven and six years old respectively, when the woman told her then husband that she wanted to return to her mother's home.

The man suddenly grabbed her asked and asked her to return to their matrimonial home.

He flew into a rage when she refused and punched her in the face three times. She fell to the ground and passed out.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kenneth Chin had earlier said: "Despite this, the accused proceeded to kick the victim on her face twice, and stomped on her head twice.

"During this time, the victim's face started to bleed and swell. When the victim tried to shout for help, the accused covered her mouth by placing his hand over her mouth."

Their children burst into tears and yelled at the man to stop.

Onlookers stepped in soon after and one of them alerted the police.

The man is now out on bail of $15,000 and was told to surrender himself at the State Courts on April 20 to begin serving his sentence.

For causing grievous hurt to his then-wife, he could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned.