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Jail, caning for man who stabbed pregnant wife after accusing her of prostitution

Jayselan N Chandrasegarhad pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, and one count of refusing to provide a urine sample. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)
Jayselan N Chandrasegarhad pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, and one count of refusing to provide a urine sample. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

Believing that his pregnant wife was prostituting herself again, he stabbed the 27-year-old woman in a rage.

The woman and child survived the attack, which took place last December.

At the State Courts on Tuesday (11 December), Jayselan N Chandrasegar – the victim’s 30-year-old husband – was sentenced to seven years’ jail and six strokes of the cane.

He had pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, and one count of refusing to provide a urine sample. One drug-related charge was taken into consideration for his sentencing.

Jayselan, who works as a cleaner, is still married to his wife of four years and the couple also have a three-year-old son.

‘Overly possessive and distrustful’ husband

The couple’s relationship soured sometime in October last year, following Jayselan’s release from prison. He had been jailed for committing a rash act. The couple quarrelled over money and their son. The wife formerly worked as a prostitute before marrying Jayselan.

Jayselan also knew that his wife’s ex-boyfriend was trying to reconnect with her and became “overly possessive and distrustful” of her, said the prosecution. He also banned his wife from leaving the house.

From October to December last year, the two frequently quarrelled over the wife’s ex-boyfriend.

During the same period, the wife discovered she was pregnant but Jayselan refused believe that the child was his. He accused his wife of infidelity.

On Christmas Eve last year, the wife ran away from home after she found herself unable to take any more of Jayselan’s aggression and verbal abuse.

She visited an area in Geylang to seek the company of old friends, who were prostitutes residing in the neighbourhood. She stayed with these friends for the next six days.

Attacked in broad daylight

At 11am on 30 December last year, the wife was walking to buy breakfast when she chanced upon an old male friend whom she had met during her days as a prostitute.

She greeted the man and the two began talking. At the same time, Jayselan had just alighted from a bus when he spotted the pair chatting. He knew the man and suspected that he was a pimp.

Enraged, Jayselan confronted his wife and accused her of prostituting herself again while the man walked away.

Before the wife could reply, Jayselan punched and kicked her several times on her face and body. Jayselan continued attacking her as she fell to the ground.

He then grabbed a knife with a 10cm blade that had been lying nearby and stabbed the woman twice in her abdomen. He also slashed her back.

When he saw his wife bleeding profusely, Jayselan asked her to go to the hospital with him, but his wife was unable to stand up. Jayselan then fled and dropped the knife along the way.

The incident was witnessed by passers-by who later called the police. Jayselan was apprehended by the police shortly after along Guillemard Road.

The wife was conveyed to Tan Rock Seng Hospital where she was found with abrasions and lacerations over her back and face. She also sustained two stab wounds, each about 2cm to 3cm deep, in her abdomen area.

The woman was admitted the to the high dependency unit after surgery. The baby survived the incident.

A further medical report stated that without surgery, the woman’s life would have been in danger.

An Institute of Mental Health report on Jayselan dated 11 January this year stated that he has Antisocial Personality Disorder. However, he was not found to be of unsound mind at the time of the attack.

Jayselan also has a history of drug abuse and violence. He had previously slashed his wife in 2014. The report also found that he poses an increased risk of violence, especially towards his wife.

Wife has forgiven husband: Defence lawyer

Deputy Public Prosecutor Houston Johannus said that Jayselan had carried out an “egregious assault on a defenceless and vulnerable woman”. He asked for seven years’ jail and six strokes of the cane for Jayselan.

Jayselan’s actions could have presented unthinkable consequences to his wife, whom he knew was pregnant, the DPP added.

Gregory Fong, Jayselan’s lawyer, described the incident as a “domestic dispute gone bad”. Jayselan had observed his wife in Geylang with another man and had heard rumours of her returning to her former job, the lawyer said.

Fong added that Jayselan loved his wife and accepted her past as a prostitute. He had asked her to quit the profession. When the woman went to find her old friends, the rumours were confirmed in his client’s mind, said the lawyer.

“She has forgiven him and had not wanted to pursue the matter after he was charged,” said Fong. The lawyer added that the two were still trying to work through their problems.

Fong urged the court to jail Jayselan between five and five-and-a-half years.

For voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, Jayselan could have been jailed up to 15 years, as well as fined or caned.

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