Jail, caning for man who slashed his ex-girlfriend’s face, consumed drugs
A man who slashed his former girlfriend’s face multiple times following an argument was sentenced to four years and nine months’ jail along with six strokes of the cane at the State Courts on Wednesday (6 June).
Yusli Ismail, 42, had earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of grievously hurting 26-year-old Norhayati Mohd Abas with a weapon, one charge of drug consumption and one charge of failing to turn up for a urine test.
Another charge of disturbing the public peace by fighting and two other charges related to missing his urine tests were taken into consideration for Yusli’s sentencing.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Joanne Leong told the court on Tuesday that Yusli had been walking along Geylang Road near Le Regal condominium at about 11.15pm on 9 September last year when he bumped into Norhayati.
As Norhayati suspected Yusli of having stolen money from her a few weeks earlier, she confronted her former boyfriend and an argument ensued.
The squabble escalated to a scuffle, during which Yusli pulled out a penknife with a 7cm blade and slashed Norhayati’s face, cutting her twice. She tried to walk away but Yusli followed her and slashed her again on her back.
Norhayati managed to escape by entering a nearby shop as Yusli continued to shout at her from outside before leaving.
Norhayati was later taken by ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where she was found to have sustained an 18cm-long cut from the base of her neck down to her shoulder. Two other cuts on the left side of her face measured 8.5cm and 9.5cm in length.
Medical reports showed that while Norhayati’s wounds have healed, she has also been left “permanently disfigured” with scars, said Leong, who asked the court for at least a four-and-a-half-year jail term and six strokes of the cane for Yusli.
Leong also urged the court to order Yusli to pay for Norhayati’s medical costs, which amounted to $1,226. Norhayati, a part-time dishwater, was homeless and did not have the means to pay for her treatment.
Yusli’s lawyer, Siraj Shaikh Aziz, said that the jail term requested by the DPP was too high for the offence committed. Similar cases in the past in which jail terms reached that high involved attacks that were planned in advance and victims who had sustained fractures or became wheelchair bound as a result.
Siraj, who asked for three years’ jail and six strokes of the cane, said that Yusli had not been “spoiling for a fight”, as the incident took place after the two had met that by chance.
District Judge Marvin Bay sentenced Yusli to three years’ and nine months’ jail along with six strokes of the cane for the assault, noting that Norhayati was a “hapless victim” and would “likely wear these highly obvious and disfiguring scars for the rest of her life”.
Separately, Yusli received an additional 12 months’ jail for consuming drugs. He also received an eight-month jail term for failing to turn up for a urine test, which is to be served concurrently.
The judge also ordered Yusli to compensate Norhayati for her treatment costs. Should he be unable to, he will have to serve an additional one week’s jail.
Yusli will also have to serve an additional 109 days in jail as he had offended while on remission from his earlier prison term for drug-related and theft offences.
For grievously hurting his former girlfriend with a weapon, Yusli could have been jailed for life, and either fined or caned.
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