Jail for man who threw scissors at another over donated clothes dispute at Yio Chu Kang Chapel
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Tan Kay Leong was jailed for 22 weeks after pleading guilty to voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means and a separate charge of shop theft.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
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SINGAPORE – A man threw a pair of scissors at an acquaintance of his after they got into an argument over donated clothing at a chapel.
As a result, the victim, a 58-year-old man, had a cut on his left cheek. Two witnesses stepped in to stop the dispute from escalating.
On Sept 19, Tan Kay Leong, 46, was jailed for 22 weeks after he pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means, and a separate charge of shop theft.
The prosecution submitted that Tan had demonstrated a “long and varied” criminal history, and had been recently sentenced to six weeks’ jail for voluntarily causing hurt in 2022.
Court documents show that on Aug 6, 2024, Tan got into a dispute with another man over donated clothing at the Yio Chu Kang Chapel in Yio Chu Kang Road.
Mr Ronald Wong, chairman of social service agency Bless Community Services (BSC), told The Straits Times that the two men had been there as part of the group’s programme for the homeless and those who were sleeping rough.
Mr Wong said BSC operates its programme at Yio Chu Kang Chapel and that its staff had helped to intervene as the dispute unfolded.
Tan admitted to picking up a pair of scissors from a nearby basket during the argument and throwing it at the victim, cutting his left cheek.
Separately, Tan also admitted to shoplifting at a Sheng Siong supermarket in Yishun on Nov 29, 2023.
He had first made a legitimate purchase at the supermarket and obtained two plastic bags before taking various items – including a chocolate bar, multiple instant tea packets, canned drinks and other household items worth a total of $78.40 – and putting them in the bags together with things he had purchased.
He then left the supermarket without paying for the items.
He was caught after an employee of the supermarket conducted a stock check the following day and discovered the missing items.
Those convicted of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means can be jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned, or given a combination of these punishments.
The offence of theft in dwelling carries a jail term of up to seven years and a fine.
