A banquet waiter, whose face was slashed by an alleged hitman, got into a relationship with a beauty queen - even though he knew she was seeing a businessman who was then supporting her financially, a court heard yesterday.
Mr Joshua Koh Kian Yong, who is married to another woman, testified on day two of the trial of the businessman, Lim Hong Liang, 54, and mover Ong Hock Chye, 47. Each faces a charge of conspiring to cause grievous hurt on April 30, 2016.
Lim, who owns a logistics company, had also been dating Ms Audrey Chen Ying Fang, who won the Miss Mermaid pageant, that year.
Mr Koh, 34, said he is still dating Ms Chen, who is unemployed, and they live together in Kembangan. He is not in contact with his Thai wife, the court heard.
Mr Koh was also allegedly attacked on another occasion.
On April 8, 2016, Mr Koh was visiting Ms Chen's apartment at The Parc Condominium in West Coast Walk when Lim's son entered the unit with another man, whom Ms Chen identified on Tuesday as "Ron" - the businessman's nephew.
The court heard that Ron attacked Mr Koh but the latter did not retaliate. The waiter added: "I'm not a violent person. I was covering my head all the time."
The attack lasted about 15 minutes. After that, Mr Koh said the two men took photos of him with their cellphones. He was later taken to hospital by ambulance and treated for injuries, including a broken nose.
Three weeks later, on April 30, he was attacked a second time as the couple were about to eat supper near Little India. He was slashed in the face by Nur Muhammad Irwan Mohd Ngat and suffered injuries, including a wound which ran from his left upper lip to the right side of his chin.
However, Mr Koh said that he had only one direct encounter with Lim which took place near his father's home in September 2016.
He was with Ms Chen when he spotted Lim driving around the neighbourhood. Mr Koh said she was talking to Lim on the phone when he got irritated and snatched it from her. Mr Koh testified: "I told him, 'If you want to talk, come. Don't keep circling'." The court heard that Lim then drove away.
Court documents state that Lim and Ong, who is unrepresented, allegedly conspired with Nur Atika Fauziana Sherhan, 20; Lim's nephew, Ron Lim De Mai, 26; Irwan, 29, and former technician Mohammad Amin Aman, 47, in assaulting Mr Koh on April 30, 2016.
To date, Atika, Ron Lim, Irwan, Amin and a fifth person, Juhari Ab Karim, 34, who was roped in to take part in the April 30 assault, have been dealt with in court for their involvement in the case.
Atika, the only woman, was ordered to undergo reformative training. The four men were given jail sentences of up to 14½ years. Three of them, including Ron Lim, were also sentenced to caning.
The trial resumes today.
