SINGAPORE - A 30-year-old woman fractured her mother-in-law's right little finger during a scuffle with the older woman.
Kavitha Palanisamy, who is in sales, was sentenced to eight months' jail on Thursday (Aug 2) after she pleaded guilty last month to causing grievous hurt to Madam Arukkaniammal Palanisami, 69.
This took place at a flat in Kim Tian Road near Jalan Bukit Merah on June 22 last year.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Delicia Tan said Madam Arukkaniammal saw her daughter-in-law looking at her own mobile phone and smiling as she did so.
The older woman asked to see the device but Kavitha refused to hand it to her. The older woman then tried to take the mobile phone but failed.
Kavitha's mother, who was present, told her daughter to "break the victim's hand", the DPP said.
"The accused then used her hand to grab the victim's right little finger and bend it backwards. The accused also pulled the victim's hair," DPP Tan said.
"The victim screamed as she was in pain. The victim then bit the accused on her left arm."
On seeing this, a 41-year-old Indian national, who worked as a maid for Madam Arukkaniammal's family, separated the women.
The court heard that the scuffle was also witnessed by Kavitha's brother-in-law and his father.
Police later arrived at the scene and an ambulance took Madam Arukkaniammal to the Singapore General Hospital. A medical report dated July 2 last year said she suffered a fracture to the right little finger.
DPP Tan said: "The likely cause of the injury was due to trauma and the said injury is consistent with being a victim of assault."
Madam Arukkaniammal was given outpatient medical leave from June 22 to 28 last year.
Kavitha, who is out on bail of $10,000, was ordered to surrender herself at the State Courts on Sept 5 to begin serving her sentence.
For causing grievous hurt, she could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...ths-jail-for-fracturing-mother-in-laws-finger
