He slashed friend over $8,000 debt
Photo: WANBAO
Elizabeth Law
Thursday, Nov 19, 2015
Unhappy with a friend who owed him money, a jobless man took a large knife to their meeting to discuss the debt.
And when the negotiations turned sour, he attacked the other man with the knife.
For his violent actions, Tan Swee Leng, 44, was jailed for 13 months and given three strokes of the cane.
A court heard yesterday that Tan was owed some RM20,000, which was equivalent to S$8,200 at that time, by his friend, Mr Chua Chek Seng, 41.
The men agreed to meet on Sept 11, 2011, at a coffee shop at Block 5, Changi Village Road.
Before going to the coffee shop, Tan took a 45cm-long knife from his home and hid it under his shirt.
He also called several friends to be on "standby" in case anything happened to him.
At about 11pm, Tan met Mr Chua and his friend, Mr Ow Leong Seng, 49, at the coffee shop.
Mr Chua said he was broke and could only repay Tan $100.
They got into a furious argument, during which Mr Chua banged on the table and kicked it.
Tan took out his knife and attacked Mr Chua. Mr Ow swung a chair in Tan's direction, causing him to drop the knife.
But he picked up the weapon and slashed Mr Ow after kicking him to the ground.
When Mr Chua ran away, Tan chased him but decided to flee when he saw two police cars parked by the road.
FLED TO MALAYSIA
He was arrested on June 25, 2012, at the Woodlands Train Checkpoint as he was returning from Malaysia, where he had fled.
Mr Chua sustained slash wounds to his right hand and back. Mr Ow had cuts on both arms and his scalp, as well as an open fracture on a finger.
For voluntarily causing hurt, Tan could have been jailed up to seven years, fined, caned or any combination of the three.
