A 55-year-old man was involved in a vicious assault on a man suspected of an affair with his niece. Others, including his son and niece’s estranged husband, also took part in the attack. Sentencing is scheduled for October.
SINGAPORE — Believing his niece was having an affair, a 55-year-old man, along with her estranged husband and others, carried out a violent roadside attack on the man they suspected to be her lover. The assault lasted for half an hour, during which the victim was beaten, humiliated, and filmed.
The group had planned the attack after following the couple in their car. Once the victim’s vehicle was trapped between two other cars, they dragged him out and assaulted him. To further degrade him, they stripped the victim and circulated a video of the attack to over 500 of his contacts, including friends, family, and colleagues.
The 55-year-old offender, who has not been named to protect the identity of the victims, was found guilty of multiple charges, including criminal intimidation, voluntarily causing hurt, disorderly conduct, and abetting the distribution of intimate images. He was due for sentencing on Thursday (Aug 29), but the judge deferred the decision to Oct 8, allowing more time to review the arguments presented by both the prosecution and defense.
The Brutal Attack Unfolds
On the night of Feb 7, 2020, around 10 pm, the offender, his son, his son’s girlfriend, and his niece’s estranged husband followed the niece and her suspected lover as they drove through various areas of Singapore. After coordinating via phone to keep tabs on the couple’s location, they finally managed to trap their car near Woodlands Checkpoint by boxing it in with two vehicles.
The younger man and the estranged husband were first to confront the victims. When the male victim refused to exit the car, the estranged husband grew enraged, kicking the car’s side mirror and demanding that he step out. Eventually, both the man and the niece exited the car.
What followed was a relentless assault. The estranged husband and the younger man punched, kicked, and choked the victim while shouting insults at him. The younger man held the victim in a chokehold while the estranged husband repeatedly struck him in the head and groin. Court documents revealed that the estranged husband performed multiple “football-style” kicks to the victim’s head and spat on him.
As the attack progressed, the older offender arrived, directed to the scene by his son’s girlfriend. He joined in, slapping and kicking the victim multiple times, and later turned on his niece, assaulting her as well. Throughout the attack, the victim was pinned to the ground, brutally beaten, and humiliated.
The Public Shaming
In addition to the physical violence, the attackers sought to further degrade the victim by removing his clothing. They filmed the incident, capturing the victim’s injuries and exposed body. The estranged husband then sent the video to more than 500 people in the victim’s contact list via WhatsApp, including his colleagues, neighbors, and friends.
The attack left the victim with multiple injuries, including fractures to his right eye socket and collarbone, as well as severe bruising on his face and body. He was hospitalized and placed on 51 days of medical leave. The assault also caused significant emotional trauma, and the victim lost his job as a result of the video’s widespread circulation.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Prosecutors sought a sentence of at least five years and six months in jail, along with a fine of at least S$2,000, emphasizing the sheer brutality of the attack and the long-lasting harm caused to the victim. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jeremy Bin argued that the offender could have chosen to stop the violence upon arriving at the scene, but instead became a central participant in the assault.
The defense, led by lawyer Satwant Singh, argued for a lighter sentence of 14 months in jail and a S$2,000 fine. Singh claimed that the offender was caught up in the “heat of the moment” and did not act with premeditation.
The offender now awaits sentencing, with the possibility of facing up to 10 years in jail for criminal intimidation to cause grievous hurt, in addition to other penalties for voluntarily causing hurt, disorderly conduct, and distributing intimate images.
Conclusion
The attack, driven by personal vendettas and carried out with alarming cruelty, has left deep emotional and physical scars on the victims. As the court prepares to deliver its final sentence in October, the case serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of taking the law into one’s own hands and the enduring impact of such violence.
