Jail and caning for teen over supermarket slashing

A recalcitrant teenage offender, who flew into a rage after a man he approached refused to buy him cigarettes, used a knife to attack his victim at the FairPrice outlet in Boon Lay Place last October.

James Teck Jing You, who was jobless and turned 19 earlier this month, repeatedly slashed Mr Lee Jing Chwen's face and head.

A medical report states that the injuries suffered by Mr Lee, 23, a waiter, will cause "permanent incapacity in terms of disfigurement and scarring".

Teck was sentenced yesterday to 3½ years' jail with eight strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to one count each of using a knife to cause grievous hurt to Mr Lee and being in possession of the weapon in a public place.

The court heard that Teck was 13 years old when his parents filed a "beyond parental control" complaint against him as they were unable to discipline him.

He was then sent to Boys' Town, a charity with residential care for vulnerable children and youth.

The teenager was out on leave during his stay there when he committed robbery with hurt and was sentenced to reformative training on April 25, 2018.

This means he was detained in a centre and had to follow a strict regimen that included foot drills as well as counselling.

He was released from the reformative training centre in February last year, only to commit the knife attack at the supermarket just eight months later.

Shortly before the incident on Oct 7 last year, Teck slipped a knife into the top of his bermudas and left his home around noon that day.

He was at Boon Lay Place when he approached Mr Lee, who was then standing in a queue to enter the FairPrice outlet. Teck asked Mr Lee to buy him cigarettes and became angry when the waiter repeatedly declined to do so.

Mr Lee was scanning a QR code to enter the supermarket when Teck whipped out the knife and lunged at him. The teenager then slashed Mr Lee, aiming for the latter's face.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Janice See said that Mr Lee ran into the supermarket. Teck chased after the waiter and continued attacking him.

He stopped only when he realised that his actions had attracted public attention.

Teck fled the scene and took a taxi to Yishun.

The police were alerted and officers arrested him around 11pm that day.

Meanwhile, Mr Lee was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and was later given 40 days of hospitalisation leave. He has since returned to work.