SINGAPORE, Aug 3 — A 29-year-old man was today sentenced to two months and two weeks’ jail after his second conviction for beating up his wife.
When Said Muammar Gaddafi Said Ishak was arrested, he head-butted a police officer multiple times and verbally harassed another officer with racially charged comments.
Gaddafi, a Singaporean, pleaded guilty to two harassment charges and one each of voluntarily causing hurt to his spouse and using criminal force on a public servant. Two other similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
He was jailed in July 2019 for assaulting his wife, who is four years his junior, but District Judge Prem Raj noted that he re-offended less than two years after his release.
Gaddafi, who turned up to court with his pregnant wife, began serving his sentence immediately.
The court heard that the couple left their four-year-old son in his sister’s care on Nov 22 last year and left their Clementi flat to go drinking.
They returned home about five hours later. He was angry due to family issues and wanted to discuss them with his wife, but she continued to lie down on a mattress in the living room.
Gaddafi got angrier, punching and slapping her face multiple times. When she tried to block his blows with her hands, he kicked her in the head multiple times. He also bit her back in her shoulder blade area when she rolled over in a prone position to protect her face.
She managed to get up and go to her sister’s room, but Gaddafi pursued her and continued to punch her.
He committed at least part of the assault in their son’s presence, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ryan Lim told the court.
The victim almost blacked out from the assault. She was taken to the National University Hospital for treatment, where she was found to have sustained several bruises and abrasions.
She was given two days of outpatient medical leave.
A group of police officers responded to six calls made about the incident. They arrested an uncooperative and aggressive Gaddafi and escorted him to their police vehicle.
While on the way to the Police Cantonment Complex, he verbally abused Station Inspector Suhaimi Ngapi with multiple comments targeting his race, and hurled vulgarities at Sergeant Darren Lye.
He also head-butted Sergeant Lye’s left shoulder nine times. His actions were captured on the officers’ body-worn cameras, with the footage played in court.
Gaddafi, who was unrepresented by a lawyer, pleaded for leniency and said he was “extremely remorseful”.
“I regretted every moment that happened. I can’t blame my emotions or my alcohol intoxication for that day but I really cannot control my doings on that very day. I promise to God and myself this won’t happen again,” he added.
He also asked to be able to be present at the delivery of his second child in January next year.
In sentencing him, District Judge Raj said he would be released in time for that.
“This was an instance of really prolonged defiance against police officers. Head-butting that officer, all in all at least nine times over (several) minutes — I’m not sure why you had to do that when he asked you to stop,” the judge added.
District Judge Raj also referred Gaddafi to the family resource centre in Changi Prison, and said he would seek a referral to appropriate prison programmes for alcohol addiction.
For the most serious offence of voluntarily causing hurt, Gaddafi could have been jailed for up to three years or fined up to S$5,000, or both. — TODAY
