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Man who punched his supervisor and a taxi driver jailed more than 2 years

Singapore state courts (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)
Singapore state courts (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

A man with a history of violence so frequent – that the prosecution said it painted a “disturbing picture” of him – was sentenced to a week and two years’ jail on Friday (25 May).

Vikneswaran Ruvy, 29, had earlier pleaded guilty at the State Courts to two charges of assaulting his own boss and a taxi driver, as well as four road traffic-related offences.

Two other charges of hurling vulgarities at the police on separate occasions was taken into consideration.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Ong told the court that Vikneswaran’s 2016 assault on Chong Kwek Ching, 63, had a “considerable degree of aggression”. The taxi driver even refused to work for a while after the incident out of “extreme fear” of another attack.

Vikneswaran had been out drinking on 3 August 2016. By the time he boarded Chong’s taxi past 3am the next day, Vikneswaran had consumed about three bottles of Chivas Regal Whiskey with his friend.

The taxi reached Vikneswaran’s home at Merpati Road around 4am but he walked out without paying. Chong exited his taxi and shouted that the fare had not been paid.

In response, Vikneswaran turned around and walked aggressively towards Chong while hurling vulgarities. He then punched Chong in the face followed by kicks to the body. Chong fell to the ground and Vikneswaran continued assaulting the driver, kicking his head and body.

Chong managed to get into his taxi and lock the doors. Vikneswaran punched the vehicle’s window and left side mirror, damaging it in the process.

After a passer-by called the police, Chong was conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where he received outpatient treatment and was on medical leave for three weeks.

Attacking his boss

Less than a month after his attack on the taxi driver, Vikneswaran assaulted his work supervisor Zaini Jerma’ain, 55.

Vikneswaran and his friends Rafit and Raj, were washing attendants for a laundry service provider near Changi Airport. They were scheduled to work two shifts on 23 August.

Instead of going home to rest after their first shift, the trio went for drinks at Changi Village and turned up for their night work shift reeking of alcohol. Their colleagues reported them to Zaini.

When Zaini asked them to leave, the trio became upset and confronted him but eventually complied. However they returned to their workplace shortly after midnight and asked to be let in as Raj had left his phone behind. Zaini told the trio he would get someone to retrieve the phone instead.

Raj and Vikneswaran then punched Zaini multiple times on the face. Rafit, along with other workers, managed to break up the fight. Zaini received treatment at Changi General Hospital, where it was found that he had a fracture on his nasal bone.

DPP Ong noted that Vikneswaran’s history of assaults painted a “disturbing picture” of him.

In April 2010 he was jailed for 15 months and received three strokes of the cane for hurting someone with a weapon. Two years later, he was given a six-month jail sentence for assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

In 2013 and 2015, he was given two separate jail term on charges of voluntarily causing hurt and beating up a stranger he came across while drunk. DPP Ong noted that shortly after coming out of jail, he assaulted the taxi driver and his supervisor. She asked the court for a 30-month jail term.

In mitigation, defense counsel Marjorie Kong asked for leniency. Her client’s mother is illiterate and needs his help with her long-term medication. Vikneswaran had also written notes of apology to the victims, she added.

For his attack on the taxi driver, Vikneswaran could have been jailed up to two years, or fined up to $5,000, or both. The assault on his supervisor could have landed him up to 10 years’ jail, a fine or caning.