Man fined for punching medium who had affair with wife
Published on Mar 30, 2012
Tan Chin Huat was fined $3,000 on Friday and ordered to pay $1,000 as compensation. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Khushwant Singh
A fishmonger who reacted violently after seeing his wife with her lover in a car near his home was fined $3,000 on Friday for hurting the older man and ordered to pay $1,000 as compensation.
Tan Chin Huat, 30, had pulled open the driver's door and punched the other man twice in May last year. While trying to ward off the blows, Mr Leow Yong Seah fractured his little finger.
In passing sentence, District Judge Mathew Joseph said that Tan's reaction was not totally unexpected as the fishmonger had only just discovered the relationship between his wife and Mr Leow.
Addressing Tan, who stood in the dock with head bowed, the judge said: 'You are a victim yourself because of the aggravating behaviour of your wife. Her conduct had sadly contributed to the unfortunate chain of events that resulted in this charge against you.'
The judge, however, warned that the courts will punish those who take the law in their own hands, even if there was emotional provocation, as in this case.
Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.