Runaway offender chopped off man's fingers
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 30 September 2011 1946 hrs
SINGAPORE: A 21-year-old man admitted to cutting off his security tag and escaping from a reformative training centre (RTC), on 8 April this year.
Ho Beng Hing, who was sentenced to the RTC in 2009 for various offences, did so to confront a man who might have touched his girlfriend.
Ho then used a knife to hack off three fingers from his victim's right hand.
The victim, who is 17 years old and unemployed, requested not to be named.
Ho was arrested later that day.
He had on him packets of drugs, including methamphetamine and ketamine.
For his offences, Ho was jailed on Friday for three years and three months, fined S$3,000 and will receive three strokes of the cane.
The bald and tattooed man pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt, one count of mischief, and two counts of drug misuse.
A National University Hospital report revealed the victim had to undergo emergency surgery for reattachment of his fingers.
The victim said he is now unable to write with his right hand.
Ho, in his mitigation plea, said he was remorseful and sincere about changing for the better.
However, District Judge Jasbendar Kaur said the manner of the offence and the weapon used was "serious".
She added there were aggravating factors to consider as well, such as Ho's act of cutting off his security tag and his drug offences.
The court also heard Ho had a history of offences, including theft, criminal breach of trust and being armed with a deadly weapon.
District Judge Kaur, in her sentencing, ordered Ho to pay the victim a compensation sum of S$2,400 for the victim's medical expenses.
-CNA/wk
