SINGAPORE - In full view of his then six-year-old daughter, a man slashed his former wife and her sister when they came to his place to drop off the child for the day.
The man had been infuriated with his former wife, a senior sales director, for calling the police on him after he punched her the day before, the High Court heard.
He first attacked the sister, as she was in his way, before turning the knife on his former spouse, shouting "you die, you die" as he repeatedly slashed her.
On Friday (March 8), the 47-year-old private-hire driver was sentenced to six years' jail after pleading guilty to one charge of attempted culpable homicide for the attack on his 47-year-old wife, and one charge of causing grievous hurt with a weapon for the attack on her older sister, 51.
The incident happened at the loading bay of the man's block of flats. His former wife could be heard screaming for more than a minute during the attack, when footage from the dash cam of her car was played in court.
The couple, who cannot be named to protect the identity of their daughter, married in 2007 and finalised their divorce in 2013. They shared custody of the girl, now eight years old. On weekdays, her mother would drop her off at her father's flat in the morning and pick her up after work.
In February 2015, the woman obtained a Personal Protection Order (PPO) to prevent the man from committing acts of violence against her. He also obtained a PPO against her.
On Oct 11, 2016, the woman drove to the man's block to hand their daughter over to him at the ground floor, which was a term of their arrangement.
When he did not reply to her text messages, she went up to the man's flat and handed the girl to his mother.
At this point, the man appeared and asked her why she was at his home. She replied she was late for a meeting, and as she walked away, he punched her in the face.
She called the police, who arrested the man for breaching the PPO. He was released from police custody that night.
The next morning, the woman's older sister accompanied her to drop off the girl.
The man, blaming his former wife for his detention, picked up a kitchen knife with a 21.5cm blade before heading downstairs.
As the sister opened the car's passenger door for her niece, the man brandished the knife near her neck. He slashed her hand when she held it out to block the knife.
When his former wife rushed to help her sister, the man pushed her to the ground and swung the knife at her. The man's mother, hearing the screams, took the child away.
The man stopped his assault only after passers-by restrained him. As they tended to the bleeding woman, they heard the man uttering "better die".
The former wife underwent emergency surgery and was warded for 16 days, with 61 days' hospitalisation leave. She is still weaker in her dominant hand, and the condition is likely to be permanent. She was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Her sister suffered nerve damage on her finger.
The man was diagnosed to be suffering from persistent depressive disorder at the time.
Seeking at least six years' jail, Deputy Public Prosecutor Christina Koh said: "Regardless of whatever grievance the accused held against (his former wife) stemming from their failed marriage, there is absolutely no excuse in inflicting violence... in the manner that he did, especially in front of their young daughter."
The man's lawyer Mr Ramesh Tiwary said he was genuinely sorry for what he had done and is now a changed man after becoming a devout Christian in prison. He has also compensated the women more than $3,500 for their medical bills.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...hing-ex-wife-and-her-sister-in-front-of-their
The man had been infuriated with his former wife, a senior sales director, for calling the police on him after he punched her the day before, the High Court heard.
He first attacked the sister, as she was in his way, before turning the knife on his former spouse, shouting "you die, you die" as he repeatedly slashed her.
On Friday (March 8), the 47-year-old private-hire driver was sentenced to six years' jail after pleading guilty to one charge of attempted culpable homicide for the attack on his 47-year-old wife, and one charge of causing grievous hurt with a weapon for the attack on her older sister, 51.
The incident happened at the loading bay of the man's block of flats. His former wife could be heard screaming for more than a minute during the attack, when footage from the dash cam of her car was played in court.
The couple, who cannot be named to protect the identity of their daughter, married in 2007 and finalised their divorce in 2013. They shared custody of the girl, now eight years old. On weekdays, her mother would drop her off at her father's flat in the morning and pick her up after work.
In February 2015, the woman obtained a Personal Protection Order (PPO) to prevent the man from committing acts of violence against her. He also obtained a PPO against her.
On Oct 11, 2016, the woman drove to the man's block to hand their daughter over to him at the ground floor, which was a term of their arrangement.
When he did not reply to her text messages, she went up to the man's flat and handed the girl to his mother.
At this point, the man appeared and asked her why she was at his home. She replied she was late for a meeting, and as she walked away, he punched her in the face.
She called the police, who arrested the man for breaching the PPO. He was released from police custody that night.
The next morning, the woman's older sister accompanied her to drop off the girl.
The man, blaming his former wife for his detention, picked up a kitchen knife with a 21.5cm blade before heading downstairs.
As the sister opened the car's passenger door for her niece, the man brandished the knife near her neck. He slashed her hand when she held it out to block the knife.
When his former wife rushed to help her sister, the man pushed her to the ground and swung the knife at her. The man's mother, hearing the screams, took the child away.
The man stopped his assault only after passers-by restrained him. As they tended to the bleeding woman, they heard the man uttering "better die".
The former wife underwent emergency surgery and was warded for 16 days, with 61 days' hospitalisation leave. She is still weaker in her dominant hand, and the condition is likely to be permanent. She was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Her sister suffered nerve damage on her finger.
The man was diagnosed to be suffering from persistent depressive disorder at the time.
Seeking at least six years' jail, Deputy Public Prosecutor Christina Koh said: "Regardless of whatever grievance the accused held against (his former wife) stemming from their failed marriage, there is absolutely no excuse in inflicting violence... in the manner that he did, especially in front of their young daughter."
The man's lawyer Mr Ramesh Tiwary said he was genuinely sorry for what he had done and is now a changed man after becoming a devout Christian in prison. He has also compensated the women more than $3,500 for their medical bills.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...hing-ex-wife-and-her-sister-in-front-of-their
