Man who stabbed and slashed NParks officer jailed 13 years, 4 months
Wan Ting KohFri, 18 March 2022, 7:23 PMThe suspect allegedly fled on a bicycle before policemen arrived but he was arrested within 1.5 hours of the incident on 4 May, 2020. (PHOTOS: SPF)
SINGAPORE — A man without a face mask who viciously slashed and stabbed a National Parks Board (NParks) officer, and nearly severed his left thumb was jailed 13 years and four months on Friday (18 March).
This includes three months in lieu of 18 strokes of the cane for Ahirrudin Al-Had Haji Arrifi, who cannot be caned as he is above 50.
Ahirrudin, 62, had used his bladed walking stick to stab into the officer’s chest at Sungei Serangoon park connector, where he had been illegally picking pandan leaves for cooking during the circuit breaker period. He then took out one of the two kerambit knives he had hidden in his shoes to continue the brutal attack on the officer, who cannot be named due to a gag order.
Ahirrudin had initially been charged with murder but had his charge reduced to voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, which he pleaded guilty to last week. He also admitted to charges of possessing an unlawful weapon, and failing to wear a mask in a public place amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Another three charges of a similar nature were considered for his sentencing.
“The accused launched an unprovoked and brutal attack on a safety distancing enforcement officer who was performing his duties,” said Justice Tan Siong Thye.
“When a crime triggers public unease and offends the sensibilities of the general public, a deterrent sentence is necessary… to quell public disquiet engendered by such crimes,” said Justice Tan.
Noting the “irrevocable change” to the victim’s life due to the severity of his injuries, Justice Tan added that the sentence imposed “must reflect this tragically profound effects on the victim”.
The victim suffered from lacerations on his scalp and chest, and puncture wounds to his sternum and right chest wall, which were life-threatening. He suffered permanent impairment to his left hand due to wounds described by a doctor as similar to an injury caused by “industrial tools like electric chainsaws".
His grip strength in his left hand is only 70 per cent of that of his right, and his pinch strength in his left fingers is 30 per cent that of his right. As such, he finds certain tasks, such as tying shoelaces and tearing candy wrappers, difficult due to the decreased dexterity of his fingers.
Ahirrudin's lawyer, Rajan Supramaniam, argued that his client had brought the walking stick for protection. But the judge said he failed to understand how the "bespoke" walking stick and the two knives were necessary for Ahirrudin's protection or for him to cut pandan leaves.
On 4 May 2020, Ahirrudin went to Sungei Serangoon park connector to pick pandan leaves for cooking. At the time, Singapore was in a semi-lockdown called the circuit breaker due to the pandemic. Individuals were not permitted to leave their residences at the time, except for permitted purposes.
Before departing, Ahirrudin hid two kerambit knives under his shoes, intending to use their 10cm-blades to cut leaves. He did not wear a mask when he left.
Ahirrudin collected his bicycle from a void deck. He brought along a one-metre wooden walking stick, which had a 20.8cm blade inside a wooden sheath and was secured with a black rubber stopper.
He cycled to the park connector where he cut a few leaves and placed them in his bicycle basket. The victim and a female colleague arrived in a buggy at the same area to install SafeEntry signs along the park connector.
The victim spotted Ahirrudin and noticed he was not wearing a mask. He also saw the leaves in Ahirrudin’s bicycle and surmised that he had obtained them from a plot in the park connector.
The officers stopped the buggy and the victim asked Ahirrudin why he had cut the leaves, and if he had a mask. His female colleague helped to convey the questions in Malay. Ahirrudin responded by asking why he had to wear a mask and insisting that he was entitled to pick the leaves.
As the conversation continued, Ahirrudin grew more agitated. He insisted he did not want to wear a mask and retrieved his walking stick.
The victim took a photo of Ahirrudin and asked for his particulars. After Ahirrudin refused to do so, the victim called the police. While awaiting the arrival of police officers, the victim and his colleague tried to explain the importance of wearing a mask. Ahirrudin hurled profanities at them, spurring the victim to take a video of him for evidence.
Angered, Ahirrudin exposed the blade of his walking stick and stabbed the left side of the victim’s chest. The victim tried to pull the blade out but Ahirrudin forcefully pushed the blade towards the victim’s chest at least two more times. The victim’s colleague screamed and tried to pull Ahirrudin away.
During the struggle, Ahirrudin and the victim fell onto a grass patch where Ahirrudin took out one of the kerambit knives and slashed the victim. A male passerby who responded to the screams filmed the two men falling out of the buggy with his mobile phone. The victim’s left thumb was nearly severed in the struggle.
Ahirrudin also bit the victim’s right hand and refused to let it go, even when the victim's colleague hit Ahirrudin with the blunt end of the walking stick. He eventually released his knife and stopped biting the victim, who managed to flee with his colleague and the passerby.
Ahirrudin then headed home on his bicycle before hiding his walking stick in a concrete compartment in a void deck. He was arrested later that day and his weapons were seized.
