ITE slasher sentenced to 18 months’ jail, caning
SINGAPORE — The youth behind the slashing incident at ITE College West earlier this year was today (Nov 25) sentenced to 18 months’ jail and six strokes of the cane for his “vicious and gratuitous” attack.
ITE student Muhammad Zuhairie Adely Zulkifli, who slashed a fellow schoolmate at ITE College West, as seen outside the courtroom on Nov 25, 2015. Photo: Ernest Chua/TODAY
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SINGAPORE — The youth behind the slashing incident at ITE College West earlier this year was today (Nov 25) sentenced to 18 months’ jail and six strokes of the cane for his “vicious and gratuitous” attack.
On March 10, Muhammad Zuhairie Adely Zulkifli, 17, wielding a bread knife with a blade measuring 35cm, had slashed Ahmad Nurthaqif at ITE College West over a dispute involving the latter’s girlfriend, in front of other students.
Apart from being wounded by the knife across his back, the 18-year-old victim, a part-time cook, also suffered fractures on his forearm and three fingers, and a cut behind his ear.
Muhammad Zuhairie Adely had pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt using a deadly weapon, as well as a separate charge of being part of an unlawful assembly that punched and kicked another victim in April last year.
“You should consider yourself fortunate that the prosecution is not asking for a higher sentence,” said District Judge Matthew Joseph as he delivered his sentence in court, which was in line with Deputy Public Prosecutor Kumaresan Gohulabalan’s recommendation.
Muhammad Zuhairie Adely’s lawyer Rajan Nair had argued that his client had been provoked, as the victim had hurled profanities at his mother.
“He’s essentially a good person who lost his head. It’s not a case of a person who, from the beginning, wanted to cause grievous hurt,” Mr Nair said.
However, DJ Joseph noted that the facts of the case that Muhammad Zuhairie Adely had admitted to showed that he clearly knew what he was doing, such as retrieving the knife from his locker and attacking his victim.
The aggravating factors in this case included the vindictive nature of the attack and the severity of the victim’s injuries, said DJ Joseph.
Noting that the incident took place in full view of students and teachers, DJ Joseph added: “What was supposed to be a safe environment was shattered by your vicious and gratuitous attack.”
Muhammad Zuhairie Adely intends to appeal against his sentence, which starts on Monday. He is out on S$15,000 bail.
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