9 months’ jail for man who slashed actor Ryan Lian with karambit knife
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Aaron Samuel Yukon pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt on Nov 7.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
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- Aaron Samuel Yukon, 22, received nine months' jail for slashing actor Ryan Lian's face with a karambit knife after a dispute outside Nex mall on Nov 22, 2024.
- The fight resulted in Mr Lian suffering a fractured eye socket and lacerations, with doctors warning of potential permanent scarring, impacting his acting career.
- Yukon's defence cited his untreated ADHD which contributed to his impulsivity; the prosecution highlighted the use of a weapon and past offences.
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SINGAPORE – A 22-year-old man was sentenced to nine months’ jail for slashing actor Ryan Lian in the face with a karambit knife after a verbal confrontation outside Nex shopping mall between the two men.
Aaron Samuel Yukon pleaded guilty on Nov 7 to one charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
Another charge for the possession of an offensive weapon was taken into consideration for sentencing.
He and Mr Lian, who is known for his roles in Ah Boys To Men 4 and Money No Enough 3, were smoking along a sheltered walkway outside the shopping mall at 6.15pm on Nov 22, 2024.
They got into a verbal confrontation as they were annoyed at each other for staring. It escalated into a physical altercation, with both of them pushing each other and eventually fighting.
At one point, they fell to the ground while punching and struggling. Amid the struggle, Yukon reached into his pouch and pulled out the weapon, a small curved knife, with its sheath on.
“The accused used the karambit to attack Lian, and while he was doing so, the sheath of the karambit fell off and the accused was using the uncovered karambit to attack Lian,” Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Xavier Tan told the court.
Yukon broke free and ran away, while the actor remained at the scene. He was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital at 6.45pm.
As a result of the fight, Mr Lian fractured his left eye socket, and had lacerations on his face and ear. Yukon had bruises on his forehead, scratches on his right elbow and hand, and a laceration on his left forearm and his left hand.
He was arrested the day after the incident, and released on court bail on Nov 29, 2024.
On Dec 5, 2024, Mr Lian shared close-up photos of his scars on his Instagram page
In an interview with Shin Min Daily News after the attack, he said that doctors told him to be prepared for permanent scarring on his face.
He added that he was considering switching to behind-the-scenes work if he was unable to get on-screen opportunities due to the scarring.
The prosecution sought an imprisonment term of between nine and 11 months for Yukon, on grounds that a weapon was used to attack a vulnerable part of Mr Lian’s body, and the fact that the fight happened in a public place.
DPP Tan added that Yukon had a history of similar offences, but noted that the present offence arose out of a fight between him and Mr Lian, not an attack on an innocent bystander.
Yukon’s lawyer, Mr Haneef Abdul Malik from Trident Law Corporation, asked for a sentence of 7½ months’ imprisonment.
Mr Haneef submitted a psychiatric report that stated that Yukon’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was present and untreated at the time of the offences, which had a “significant contributory link” to his actions.
“Behavioural impulsivity is a core ADHD symptom and increases the risk of criminality,” said Mr Haneef.
At the end of the hearing, Yukon’s parents were teary-eyed as they spoke to him before he was taken away to begin his sentence.
For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined or caned.
