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Woman jailed for vicious beer bottle attack on alleged mistress, 18

hand reject a bottle of beer. isolated on white background
Photo from Getty Images

SINGAPORE — Suspecting her husband of having an affair with an 18-year-old employee, a 39-year-old woman broke a beer bottle over the girl’s head and tried to stab her with the shards.

The teenager, Ng Jia Hui, managed to block Chen Xiaqin’s beer-fuelled attack but sustained a laceration on her arm before other colleagues could intervene.

Chen, a 39-year-old Chinese national, was jailed seven months on Thursday (28 November) after pleading guilty to one count of causing hurt to Ng with a weapon.

Ng worked at Chen’s husband’s production company, known as ApertureXXI.

On 10 May last year, Chen, her husband and his employees gathered at Hook On Steamboat restaurant in Geylang to celebrate his birthday.

During the gathering, Chen and her husband began arguing and he left the restaurant shortly after. Chen then downed some bottles of beer.

At about 7.30pm, she approached Ng from behind and swung a beer bottle against the back of Ng’s head. The bottle shattered and a struggle ensued. Chen tried to stab the girl with the broken bottle but Ng blocked the attack with her left forearm and was cut instead.

Ng’s colleagues then intervened and separated the two. The police were called and Ng was conveyed to the hospital.

Chen’s assault was captured on CCTV.

Ng sustained a 3cm scalp laceration and a 5cm laceration over her forearm which exposed muscle. Her wounds have since healed but have left scars.

Chen’s lawyer Dhanwant Singh said, “Chen’s assault was a spur of the moment reaction caused by her husband’s suspicious conduct and an abrupt disappearance from the scene, but not before making sign language of endearment to (Ng).”

Chen felt betrayed and tried to drown her sorrow in beer but became furious, said the lawyer.

“It was an act to protect her husband from being ‘stolen’; to keep the family together,” he added.

In his mitigation plea, he added, “(The) scarring inflicted on a lady is the thought of her hubby favouring the company of another female and even more bitterly will it be to our client; whose world brings to mind the saying, ‘to you he is a dog but to the dog you are everything’, such was the lifeblood of our client’s existence in Singapore, and when that artery of supply was threatened to be shattered she collapsed.”

A Changi General Hospital report dated 8 November stated that Chen felt very depressed and suicidal. She had tried to cut herself or walk into the sea but was scared, it stated. She was diagnosed with adjustment disorder with suicidal thoughts.

For causing hurt with a weapon, Chen could have been jailed up to seven years and/or with fine and/or caning.

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