Man charged after allegedly hacking wife with chopper in Beach Road
UPDATE: The assailant was charged with attempted murder on Saturday (16 April).
SINGAPORE — A 46-year-old man was charged in court on Satuday (16 April) after he allegedly hacked his wife with a chopper in the Beach Road area on Thursday.
The Straits Times reported that Chinese national Cheng Guoyuan, 46, appeared in court via video link from Tan Tock Seng Hospital in a hospital bed. It was heard that he had an operation on Saturday morning for an injury.
He will be remanded for psychiatric assessment after he is discharged from hospital and will return to court on 6 May.
A person who is convicted of attempted murder faces a jail term for life or a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine.
Hacking at wife as she lay on the road
Cheng was seen in several online videos of the incident hacking at his wife Han Hong Li, 41, as she lay on a road at about 5.30pm along Beach Road. Several eyewitnesses can be seen attempting to intervene by confronting him.
Police said they responded to a case of assault with a chopper at 75 Beach Road. Upon arrival, officers found Han with slash wounds at the scene.
“Several members of the public had intervened to help the victim and prevent the man from causing further harm to the victim,” the police said.
Police officers who arrived at the scene found Cheng in the area and deployed Taser to subdue him. He was believed to have slit his own wrists with a chopper before the officers’ arrival, the police said. Cheng was arrested and brought conscious to the hospital.
Two videos show several individuals throwing two chairs, a garbage bin and a signage at Cheng while he was attacking the woman, with a number of them chasing after him.
In two other videos, police officers at the scene can be seen engaging Cheng at a restaurant. The officers used their Taser weapons on the man, who then fell to the floor and was arrested.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Jeremy Ang, Commander of Central Police Division, said the police commended the members of the public who tried to intervene and help the victim.
“The police are aware of videos circulating online of the incident and would like to urge members of the public to refrain from circulating the videos and speculating on the case.”
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