Updated: 11/01/2013 15:07 | By Channel NewsAsia
Man gets 5 years' corrective training for stabbing fellow ex-inmate
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SINGAPORE: A former delivery assistant who stabbed a fellow ex-inmate after their release from prison has been sentenced to five years in corrective training.
27-year-old Koh Kim Swee had stabbed 53-year-old Charles Chia Cheng Soon in March this year, shortly past 11.30pm.
Koh stabbed Mr Chia on the left side of the face with a fruit knife.
The two had met in prison and stayed together at Super 8 Hotel in Geylang after their release in 2012.
On the night of the incident, Mr Chia returned to the room with a fruit knife.
He told Koh that it was meant to scare debtors who owed him money.
Unconvinced, Koh became agitated and tried to wrestle the knife away from Mr Chia.
In their struggle, Koh was cut on his nose and thumb.
He left the room to call the police, but was angry at Chia and stabbed the victim in the face.
Previously, the court heard in mitigation that Koh is extremely remorseful and spoke of his wish to further his studies.
But the prosecution argued that Koh has an anti-social personality.
It said that the Institute of Mental Health report stated that the accused is "highly volatile" and a menace to society.
In sentencing, District Judge Ng Peng Hong said Koh has had a string of previous offences.
The judge noted that for the last offence, Koh was given a jail term and caned six times.
Judge Ng said the risk of Koh re-offending is high, and sent him to jail for corrective training for the minimum period of five years.
Corrective training is a harsher form of prison term as the offender is unlikely to be given early release for factors such as good behaviour.
For his offence, Koh could have been given the maximum sentence of an imprisonment of seven years, a fine and caning. - CNA/nd
