Man jailed for slashing colleague with penknife in Changi
A workplace dispute resulted in a man slashing his co-worker in the neck and arm with a rusty penknife.
Chinese national Wang Fu Guo, 40, used a penknife blade measuring 7cm in length to attack his compatriot Wang Da Yu, 31, during a quarrel, causing part of the blade to be embedded in Da Yu’s neck. On Wednesday (26 April), Fu Guo was sentenced in the State Courts to 16 months’ jail for one charge of voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon to Da Yu.
Both men were working in Cellini Design Center, a furniture company located at Changi North Crescent, on 21 October last year when the incident occurred.
Investigations showed that on 20 October last year, Da Yu was informed by his supervisor that he and Fu Guo were to report one hour early for work the next day – at 7.30am – due to an early arrival of a shipment of goods that needed unpacking.
Da Yu informed Fu Guo of the earlier reporting time at about 5pm that day, but he was unsure if Fu Guo heard him.
On 21 October, at about 7.45am, the two met at the company’s warehouse where they got into a dispute. Fu Guo accused Da Yu of not telling him about the earlier reporting time. Some 15 minutes later, Fu Guo walked past Da Yu and the duo got into a quarrel over the same issue.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En said, “The dispute got heated and (Fu Guo) then took out a penknife from his right pocket of the pants. (Fu Guo) then swung the penknife at the victim a few times.” The two were separated by their colleagues.
As a result, Da Yu suffered slash injuries to the left side of his neck and his right arm, including two severed nerves, a severed vein, and a laceration on his right forearm.
A broken, rusted piece of the penknife blade measuring 3 x 1.5cm was also found embedded in Da Yu’s neck after it had broken off during the assault. He was warded at Changi General Hospital for four days and given a month of hospitalisation leave.
In sentencing Fu Guo, District Judge Mathew Joseph noted that he had taken out a dangerous weapon for a verbal dispute and that the force he had used was “considerable”. “You are fortunate that (the victim) did not succumb to his injuries,” he said.
Fu Guo, whose sentence is backdated to 22 October last year, could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment for causing hurt with a weapon of offence.
