SINGAPORE — After arguing with Mr Lim Eng Pueh over horse-racing betting at a Singapore Pools outlet, Hong Mee Yong bought a 42cm-long slicer and returned to the outlet one morning with the weapon hidden in a bag.

The 70-year-old sat there for more than an hour thinking about whether to attack Mr Lim, before slashing him once from his shoulder and down to his elbow and forearm.

When a bystander intervened and chased him away, he fled, disposed of the weapon and bought a bus ticket to Thailand. The authorities caught him before he could leave Singapore.

Hong, who took up jobs to distribute flyers, was sentenced to four years’ jail on Tuesday (Nov 19), after pleading guilty to causing grievous hurt to Mr Lim, 61. He was also ordered to pay S$4,019 in compensation.

Mr Lim suffered a fracture and cuts, and was given about a month of hospitalisation leave.

The court heard that the two men first argued on Aug 11 this year, and Mr Lim stared at Hong over the next few days when they saw each other at the Singapore Pools outlet along Rangoon Road near Farrer Park MRT Station.

This angered Hong, who bought the slicer at a shop in Ang Mo Kio a week after the initial dispute.

He hid the weapon in a plastic bag and headed to the Singapore Pools outlet, knowing that Mr Lim would be there as he both of them were frequent customers.

When he reached the shop, he saw Mr Lim watching a horse race on the television in the crowded room. He sat in a nearby chair mulling over whether to carry out the attack, before taking the slicer out of the bag, approaching Mr Lim and slashing him.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Derek Ee told the court: "This sudden attack caught the victim by surprise and caused alarm to many members of the public who were in the vicinity.” 

Hong then ran away, dropping the plastic bag on the ground and discarding the slicer in a rubbish bin at the staircase landing. He took two buses to Golden Mile Tower and bought a ticket to Hatyai, Thailand, which was departing later that evening.

However, police officers managed to track him down and arrested him.

Mr Lim was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for medical treatment and discharged two days later. He paid S$463 in medical fees out of his own pocket, while the remaining S$4,112 was paid out from his Central Provident Fund MediSave account and Medishield Life.

DPP Ee sought the sentence that was later imposed, saying that Hong was last sentenced to nine years of preventive detention in 2003 for drug-related offences.

“He is heavily traced for various offences including drug-related offences, property-related offences, public gaming offences, and the making, distribution, possession and sale of obscene films and books… it is clear that his long periods of incarceration have not deterred him from his criminal tendencies,” the prosecutor added.

Hong’s lawyer Richard Siaw asked for two-and-a-half years’ jail, adding in mitigation that his client has several medical conditions.

He said that Hong had made a bet with Mr Lim, who was a bookie, and Mr Lim refused to pay Hong S$400 in winnings after claiming that he did not record the bet.

“During the argument, Mr Lim raised his voice several times at our client. Our client had to tell him to stop shouting at him… When he saw our client (in the days that followed), Mr Lim would stare fiercely at him,” the lawyer said.

For causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, Hong could have been jailed up to 15 years and fined.