SINGAPORE - A man and his nephew, who both assaulted a man at a walkway outside Shaw House one morning were sentenced to jail on Monday (June 27).

Muhammad Sarifie Surat, 32, then a cleaning supervisor, was sentenced to one year's year for punching and kicking Mr Tharma Govindarajan, 34, on May 16 last year. He was jailed another five years and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane for consuming methamphetamine on May 24 this year when he was on court bail.

District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim ordered his sentences to run consecutively, making a total of six years and three strokes of the cane.

Sarifie's nephew, Asef Kurniawan Syah Komar Suhendar Muhadi, 29, was sentenced to two weeks' jail after he admitted kicking Mr Tharma once on his body along Orchard Road that day.

Investigation showed that Sarifie had confronted Mr Tharma along the walkway outside Shaw House at about 6am that day. Sarifie was unhappy that the victim had tried to flirt with his fiancee, who was also his co-worker.

When Mr Tharma ignored him, Sarifie threw multiple punches at his head. Mr Tharma lost his balance and fell to the ground. Sarifie kicked him several times on the head but the victim did not retaliate.

Shortly later, Asef came and kicked Mr Tharma once.

Mr Tharma was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital with head injuries. He was discharged six days later and given 29 days' medical leave. He also had an adjustment disorder with low mood and anxiety due to the asssault.

Defence counsel Amarick Gill said in mitigation that the victim had apparently appproached Sarifie's girlfriend and touched her on the cheek and walked away.

When told what had happened, Sarifie shouted at the victim to stop but the latter ran. Sarifie confrontned the victim about the touching but the victim denied it.

Mr Amarick said all his client wanted was an explanation and an apology and that would have been the end of it all.

As for the drug charge, he said Sarifie was severely stressed with work and his fiancee - the same person as in the assault case - had broken up with him.

He said Asef delivered one kick out of "blind loyalty'' to his uncle. Asef was given until July 11 to surrender to the court.