Jail for assailant who assaulted man, causing brain injuries that needed urgent surgery
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SINGAPORE - An unemployed man who shoved a 59-year-old man to the ground, causing him to suffer brain injuries, was sentenced to a year and three months’ jail on Feb 28.
Chan Pei Ming, 49, was then running away from a spa owner after he tried to assault her with a screwdriver.
In his bid to escape, Chan shoved the man, who had tried to use his body to block him. The older man fell backwards and hit the back of his head on the ground, causing him to have brain injuries.
The older man was rushed to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and went through urgent brain surgery.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Maximilian Chew said that the victim later needed help with walking and that SGH had applied for a nursing home as his final discharge destination.
Court documents did not disclose the man’s current condition.
Chan pleaded guilty to one count each of assaulting the man and attempting to hurt the female spa owner with the screwdriver.
The DPP said that Chan went to the spa at Lucky Chinatown shopping mall on July 19, 2023 and had a facial.
The session ended at around 5.30pm and he realised that he did not enough cash to pay for it.
He told the 50-year-old spa owner then he would withdraw some cash from a nearby automated teller machine and she asked him to leave his mobile phone behind as collateral.
Chan, who refused to do so, argued with the woman before he took a screwdriver out from his pocket and thrusted it towards her head.
She managed to fend off the attack and a scuffle broke out between the pair.
Chan ran away when she bit his finger and yelled for help, which alerted neighbouring tenants and a security officer.
The woman was later found with injuries, including a bruise over her left temple and a shaky tooth.
Chan was running towards a nearby overhead bridge when the 59-year-old man heard shouts for help.
Chan then shoved the man who tried to block his way, causing the man to fall backwards.
The victim started bleeding from his nose and ears and an ambulance rushed him to SGH soon after.
The police were alerted and officers arrested Chan on July 20, 2023.
