SINGAPORE - Two men punched and kicked another patron who had started a fight at a karaoke lounge, causing him to suffer a broken nose and right eye socket fracture.
Store supervisor Kingsley Xie, 43, and operations executive Teo Chee Wee, 42, were each sentenced to eight months' jail on Wednesday (Aug 16) for punching and kicking Mr Tan Kiang Hui, 55, in his head, face and body, causing the fractures and a dislocated left elbow, at Yangtze KTV at The Adelphi in Coleman Street, on Feb 6, 2016.
A district court heard that Mr Tan and two friends arrived at Yangtze KTV at about 1.30am that day for a drinking session. They found a table at the public entertainment area of the KTV lounge.
Teo and Xie, together with two other friends, were then in one of the private rooms when Teo noticed Mr Tan in the premises. Teo approached Mr Tan and asked him to go with him into the private room.
One of the victim's friends decided to follow them as he sensed that something was not right. But he was stopped from entering the room.
While in the room, Teo had a dispute with Mr Tan. A fight broke out, during which Xie and Teo kicked and punched the victim all over his body, head and face.
The assault stopped 10 minutes later. Both Xie and Teo left the KTV lounge.
The victim later sought treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and was found to have suffered fractures to his nose and eye socket and a dislocated elbow. He was given seven days of hospitalisation leave.
In mitigation, Xie's lawyer S.S. Dhillon said that while Teo and the victim were in the room, the victim threw a punch at Teo. His client reacted instinctively upon seeing his friend being assaulted.
He said the father of three regretted his foolish actions and was remorseful.
Teo's lawyer R. Thrumurgan said all his client did was to admonish the victim who provoked the incident.
District Judge Ong Chin Rhu allowed Xie to start his sentence on Sept 6, and Teo, on Aug 21.
Each of them could have been jailed for up to 10 years, fined or caned for causing grievous hurt.
