Man who attacked amputee and others gets 5 years’ corrective training

He was a recalcitrant offender who attacked people without provocation, including punching and kicking an amputee who wore a prosthetic leg and using his walking stick to hit him.

Emmanuel Munisamy, 31, also attacked three other individuals – a stranger, a 13-year-old female student and a police officer – and verbally abused police officers on two separate occasions.

Calling Emmanuel a “vicious human attack machine”, District Judge (DJ) Mathew Joseph sentenced him to five years of corrective training in the State Courts on Thursday (7 December).

Emmanuel pleading guilty to 11 charges including voluntarily causing hurt, causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation and using criminal force against public servants. Nine other charges were taken into consideration.

He committed the offences while he was out on a remission order from prison for previous offences, including failing to turn up for a urine test, possessing a dangerous instrument without permission, and criminal intimidation of a police officer.

Corrective training is a prison regime for repeat offenders who would not be given one-third remission for good behaviour.

The court heard that on 28 February this year, Emmanuel attacked Sheriff Muhammad Khalid, a 41-year-old amputee, near Toa Payoh MRT station.

Sheriff knew some of Emmanuel’s family members and had no dispute with Emmanuel. After asking if Sheriff could speak with him, Emmanuel attacked Sheriff near a sheltered walkway. He punched Sheriff several times while the victim was holding onto a pillar for support.

Emmanuel also kicked Sheriff while the victim was on the ground. He then took Sheriff’s walking stick and struck him twice with it. The attack lasted two minutes, causing Sheriff to suffer from swelling, an abrasion and several scratch marks.

In the second incident on 14 April this year, Emmanuel saw a stranger cycling in the carpark of Block 148 Toa Payoh. He kicked the man from behind, causing him to fall off his bicycle. He then punched his face and hurled vulgarities at him. The man suffered a spinal fracture as a result of the attack.

Separately, on 4 July this year, Emmanuel called the police to say that there was a man with a knife at his flat. When four police officers arrived, they did not find a man with a weapon. Instead, Emmanuel behaved in an aggressive manner and was arrested after refusing to listen to an officer’s instructions to calm down.

When Emmanuel was brought to the police car, he put up a violent struggle where he kicked an officer’s face and hurled vulgarities at the other officers. He spat at two officers and shouted obscenities at the top of his voice throughout the journey in the car.

In addition, Emmanuel had threatened to kill the boyfriend of his girlfriend’s sister, and slapped a 13-year-old female student. He also admitted to hurling vulgarities at the vice principal of the school where the student was from.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Shi sought a five-year term for corrective training for Emmanuel, saying that he had a high risk of reoffending. The shortest period when he was crime-free was five days, Shi pointed out.

Shi said that Emmanuel’s victims were vulnerable and that he carried out a “protracted attack” on an amputee. Emmanuel also showed a clear disregard for law and authority given the way that he behaved when he was arrested by police, she added.

Defence counsel Ranadhir Gupta, who was assigned by the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, told the court that Emmanuel came from a family background with no parental support and had a history of substance and alcohol abuse.

Emmanuel has had brushes with the law since he was 13, and had been jailed previously for offences including committing robbery with hurt, using criminal force and causing hurt to a public servant.

DJ Joseph described Emmanuel’s conduct as “absolutely shocking”, highlighting Emmanuel’s attack on the amputee.

“The man used a walking stick to walk and you’re used it as a weapon against him…I’ve never seen such a young person in my court behave in such a vicious manner,” DJ Joseph said.

Emmanuel, who smiled when he saw his girlfriend in court, was tearful when addressing the judge and asked to be given a “final chance”. In response, DJ Joseph told Emmanuel he was lucky that the prosecution did not ask for preventive detention.

Addressing Emmanuel’s lawyer after sentencing, DJ Joseph said, “If he comes out again and continues in the same pattern, and appears before me, you can be well assured he will be sent to preventive detention.”