SINGAPORE, March 23 — A private-hire car driver, who assaulted his wife and continued doing so even after police officers had arrived at the scene, was jailed six weeks yesterday
Teh Wee Wee, who drives for ride-hailing firm Grab, got into an argument with his wife and attacked her in their Toa Payoh flat in the presence of their two-year-old daughter. The couple has since divorced.
The 33-year-old Singaporean man pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt to a person with whom he was in an intimate relationship.
The provision, which allows for enhanced punishments, kicked in last year as part of wide-ranging amendments to the Penal Code.
The court heard that the couple argued for about 20 minutes on the evening of Sept 25 last year. Teh’s wife, a 30-year-old Thai who was not named in court documents, then ignored him and went to the bathroom.
When he told her that he would kick her until she collapsed, she retorted that she would call the police if he did. He proceeded to kick her on her thigh when she emerged from the bathroom.
She kicked him back and went to the storeroom to retrieve some clothes, but Teh punched her on the head and face several times, hit her upper arm and pulled her hair.
Their daughter witnessed this and began crying, so Teh’s wife got up and carried the girl into her room. She then used the land line to call the police.
This made Teh upset. He pulled out the phone cable, grabbed her by the sleeve and flung her into his room. Her face struck a metal shelf and she fell.
Teh then kicked her thigh again before going to the bathroom.
At this point, the woman tried to send her friend a text message with her mobile phone asking for help, but Teh saw this and pulled the phone away.
He also realised that she was bleeding and passed her some tissue paper.
Police officers arrived shortly after that. When they knocked on the door, Teh grew angry at his wife for calling the police and slapped her on her cheek.
She was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment, having suffered bruising around her eyes, cheek and jaw, among other injuries.
‘Wife came home drunk’
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tay Zhi Jie sought the sentence imposed, noting that Teh’s continued assault of the victim when the police were at their doorstep “shows a level of brazenness”.
In mitigation, Teh said that he knew he was in the wrong and admitted that he should not have hit his wife.
He added: “This incident happened because my wife came home drunk. Her attitude towards me was not good and because of her attitude, I was unable to go to work… I lost control of myself.
“I did apologise to my wife and checked on her well-being. I hope I will get a lighter sentence for my actions as I have other personal burdens. My three-year-old daughter still needs me, I need to work to support her and (settle) other financial burdens.”
Teh also said that he had gone for counselling sessions after his wife took out a Personal Protection Order against him.
District Judge May Mesenas allowed Teh to begin serving his sentence from May 3, in order to make care arrangements for his child — who now lives at Teh’s sister’s home — and to get his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The judge also arranged for him to see a court counsellor.
Teh could have been jailed up to six years or fined up to S$10,000 (RM41,160), or both. — TODAY
