Teen who beat up foreign workers: Appeal for stiffer sentence dismissed

An appeal to enhance the sentence of Daryl Lim Jun Liang, who beat up foreign workers, was dismissed by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon on Thursday, July 16, 2015. ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

SINGAPORE - An appeal to enhance the sentence of a teenager who beat up foreign workers was dismissed by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon on Thursday .

In April, Daryl Lim Jun Liang, 18, was was given a short detention order of 10 days by a district judge for attacking two foreign workers to gether with three other friends last year.

He was also ordered to report to a supervision officer every day for a year. In addition, he also has to remain indoors from 10pm to 6am for a year and perform 150 hours of community service.

Lim had earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt.

On Thursday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Francis Ng urged the court to pass a stronger deterrent sentence and send Lim instead to the Reformative Training Centre.

DPP Ng pointed out that had Lim displayed a "penchant for fighting" and had gone into the encounter last year "prepared to fight".

But CJ Menon noted that Lim did not actually lay a hand on the victim, a Chinese foreign worker. Instead, it was his 15-year-old accomplice who had punched the 48-year-old construction multiple times in the face.

CJ Menon added that a short detention order of 10 days was sufficient enough to give Lim a "short, sharp shock" to the grim realities of prison.

A short detention order involves a short stint in jail but is intended to be less disruptive and stigmatising.

He ordered Lim's parents instead to pay a bond of $10,000 to ensure their son's good behaviour.

Addressing Lim at the end, CJ Menon said: "The Court is taking a chance that you can yet mend your ways and grow up to be a responsible citizen."

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.