Man who kicked step-nephew's face, fractured eye socket, jailed 15 months
Angry with his step-nephew, the man kicked the 13-year-old twice in the face before leaving him crying on the floor.
The boy was taken to the hospital only the next day and was found to have a fractured eye socket.
At the State Courts on Thursday (29 November), the victim’s 46-year-old step-uncle was jailed 15 months for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to the secondary school student.
Both the man, who is a storekeeper, and the boy cannot be named to protect the boy’s identity.
Fractured eye socket
According to court documents, the man had moved in with the victim’s family four months prior to the incident as the former was unemployed and needed a place to stay.
Also living in the unit were the victim’s 10 siblings, his mother and stepfather. The man was entrusted with looking after the victim and his siblings.
On 20 March, the man was at home with the victim when he asked the latter to heat up some food. The boy then asked his younger sister to do it instead.
When the man found the girl performing the task, he became angry and confronted the boy. Thinking that he was being lied to, he kicked the boy – who was seated on the floor – twice in the left eye.
The man then returned to his room, leaving the boy crying. The boy later informed his parents about what had happened when they returned home an hour later. His parents spoke to the man but no police report was made.
At around midnight, the boy began vomiting and was unable to sleep. The next morning, the boy’s step-grandmother found that the boy’s eye was swollen and made a police report.
As the boy was still vomiting and felt unwell, she also called an ambulance.
As a result of the assault, the boy sustained a fractured left eye socket. He was also found to have double vision – or diplopia – and was at risk of having his eyeball displaced from its socket position.
Luckily, the boy’s condition improved after three weeks and he did not have to undergo surgery.
‘Clearly unacceptable’ behaviour: judge
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Angela Ang sought 15 months’ jail for the man, whom she said had directed an attack on an extremely vulnerable part of the boy’s body.
DPP Ang added that the man had been acting as a caregiver when he committed the act of violence and had abused his position of trust.
In mitigation, the man, who was unrepresented, claimed that the boy had stolen his money.
“If he had not, I would not have committed the offence,” said the man. He added that he was under stress at the time as he had just started working and had outstanding bills to pay.
He also offered to pay for any additional medical bills incurred by the boy.
In response, District Judge Eddy Tham said, “The court often hears of the stress that the offender is facing but the court’s response is this: As an adult, you are expected to deal with these stresses in a rational way.”
“To vent your frustration on a child because he has irritated you is clearly unacceptable.”
The judge noted that the man could have easily blinded the boy. The charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt carries a jail term of up to 10 years, and a fine or caning.
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