Man jailed more than 13 years for 'brutal' attack on safe distancing officer with hidden blade in walking stick
Ahirrudin Al-Had Haji Arrifin at the time of his arrest (left) and the weapons he had (right).
- Ahirrudin Al-Had Haji Arrifin attacked a safe distancing enforcement officer who caught him when he was not wearing a face mask
- This was during 2020 when there was a semi-lockdown due to Covid-19
- Ahirrudin was also illegally cutting pandan leaves along a park connector then
- He was armed with two karambit knives and a walking stick with a concealed blade
- A doctor said the wound on the victim’s left hand was so severe, it was like those caused by an electric chainsaw, for example
BY
LOUISA TANG
Published March 18, 2022Updated March 18, 2022
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SINGAPORE — Back in May 2020, two safe distancing enforcement officers stopped Ahirrudin Al-Had Haji Arrifin at Sungei Serangoon Park Connector for not wearing a face mask. It was a common scene when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its height.
However, the confrontation quickly turned bloody after Ahirrudin stabbed one of the officers with a walking stick that concealed a 20.8cm-long blade. He then used a curved dagger to almost sever the officer’s thumb.
The 62-year-old Singaporean, who worked as a rag-and-bone man, was jailed for 13 years and four months on Friday (March 18) for this “unprovoked and brutal attack”, which left his victim with severe and lifelong injuries, a High Court judge said.
The sentence includes three months’ jail in lieu of 18 strokes of the cane. Offenders aged 50 or above such as Ahirrudin cannot be caned under the law here.
He pleaded guilty last week to one charge each of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to the officer, possessing a scheduled weapon and breaching Covid-19 laws by failing to wear a mask over his nose and mouth.
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The first charge was reduced from a more serious one of attempted murder. The victim cannot be named due to a court order to protect his identity.
INJURIES WERE SERIOUS AND LIFELONG
On Friday, Justice Tan Siong Thye noted that Ahirrudin had inflicted severe, lifelong and permanent injuries on the victim, who was discharging his public duties when Ahirrudin “savagely and brutally” attacked him with deadly weapons.“When a case triggers public unease and offends the sensibilities of the general public, a deterrent sentence is necessary to quell public disquiet engendered by such crimes,” the judge said.
Justice Tan also questioned why Ahiruddin was heavily armed that day if he merely wanted to cut pandan leaves.
The court earlier heard that Ahirrudin had decided to go to the park connector on May 4, 2020 to pick pandan leaves for cooking. This was during the circuit-breaker period, a semi-lockdown imposed on April 7 that year to stem the spread of Covid-19.
He hid two karambits — small curved knives — under the insoles of his shoes. He intended to use them to cut the leaves, the court heard.
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After cycling to the park connector and cutting the leaves, he was stopped by the victim and his colleague in a buggy. The two safe distancing enforcement officers from the National Parks Board (NParks) were installing SafeEntry signs at the time.
The victim asked Ahirrudin why he had cut pandan leaves and why he did not wear a mask. In response, Ahirrudin questioned why he needed to wear one and said that he was entitled to cut the leaves.
Following this exchange, the court heard how the victim photographed Ahirrudin in order to collect evidence and asked for his particulars.
When he refused to comply, the NParks officers then called the police and again explained to Ahirrudin the importance of wearing a mask.
In response, Ahirrudin cursed at them in Hokkien.
When the victim tried to take a video as evidence, Ahirrudin saw red and retrieved his walking stick, unsheathed the hidden blade and stabbed the left side of the victim’s chest.
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Shocked, the victim tried to pull the blade out, but Ahirrudin climbed into the buggy and forcefully pushed the blade into the victim’s chest.
The victim's colleague screamed for help and tried to pull Ahirrudin away. The two men struggled and fell onto a grass patch, with Ahirrudin dropping the walking stick.
He then retrieved one of the karambit knives out of his shoe and slashed the victim repeatedly, almost severing his thumb. The victim’s colleague picked up Ahirrudin's walking stick and struck him with the blunt wooden end several times but Ahirrudin continued biting the victim’s right hand.
He eventually let go and dropped the karambit after a passer-by intervened. The victim managed to flee with his colleague before making a police report.
SENSELESS VIOLENCE
Justice Tan noted that Ahirrudin remained relentless in his attack, which was “simply senseless, abhorrent and callous”.In a testimony to the brutality of his assault, the doctor who treated the victim noted that a “large degree of violence was involved in the creation of his hand injuries”.
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The depth of the wound on the victim’s left hand was typical of those caused by industrial tools such as electric chainsaws, the doctor said. The victim also required months of therapy with a hand specialist to move his hands again.
Justice Tan said it was fortuitous that he had not died or sustained life-threatening injuries.
“It was by sheer miracle that the (walking stick) blade did not penetrate his heart and kill him. The use of an exceedingly dangerous weapon is an aggravating factor that warrants a higher deterrent sentence.”
The judge noted that the victim still feels uneasy approaching members of the public and is also traumatised by the sight of a knife. His colleague did not suffer serious physical harm but had “traumatic aftershocks” from witnessing the incident.
Justice Tan noted that Ahirrudin had cycled home after the attack, washed up at the void deck of a Hougang housing block where he lived, and hid the walking stick in a concrete compartment. He was arrested a short while later.
He said that Ahirrudin clearly intended to “evade the long arm of the law”, stating that while Ahirrudin showed remorse in court, his immediate reaction following the attack was not to turn himself in, but to conceal the weapon.
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Stiff sentences are required to ensure that public servants, especially front-line enforcement officers who remain susceptible to abuse, get adequate protection under the law, Justice Tan added.
Those convicted of voluntarily causing grievous hurt by a dangerous weapon or means can be jailed for life or up to 15 years. They can also be caned.
