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www.corpun.com : Archive : 2001 : SG Judicial Feb 2001

-- THE ARCHIVE --

SINGAPORE
Judicial CP - February 2001

Straits Times, Singapore, 3 February 2001

Repeat burglar to get 6 strokes

A REPEAT housebreaker will get six strokes of the cane after the Chief Justice ruled a corrective training order was not a stiff enough punishment for his most recent brush with the law.

Tsao Kok Wah, 35, unemployed, had been sentenced to six years of corrective training after admitting to an attempted break-in at a Bedok North Avenue 3 clinic on April 16 last year and failing to go for a urine test.

The Public Prosecutor appealed the sentence, handed down last October, on the grounds that it was manifestly inadequate.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jennifer Marie told Chief Justice Yong Pung How that the judge's failure to impose caning was wrong. The judge reasoned that Tsao only attempted to break into the premises and caning did not apply.

She said that caning was mandatory for repeat offenders like Tsao. He was convicted of theft in 1985 and for housebreaking and theft in 1990. In 1993, he was jailed for five years and given 12 strokes of the cane for two counts of burglary.

DPP Marie said it was clear that Parliament's intent in enacting the enhanced punishment of caning for repeat offenders was one of deterrence.

A person who attempted a break-in but failed, might very well try again, she said.

Electric New Paper, Singapore, 5 February 2001

Singapore Rambo floored

By Andre Yeo

THE Hollywood Rambo was a lean, mean fighting machine who knew no fear.

See Choong Siong, also known as Rambo, imagined himself just as macho.

Trying to take on a group of men, See, in his late 20s, was stabbed several times. Once in the buttocks.

It happened while See was on bail, after being nabbed last year for operating a shop believed to be selling unlicensed CD-ROMs.

He called Lee Kam Cheong who he believed was the owner of the shop at Far East Plaza.

He demanded that Lee compensate him and on May 21 last year, told Lee he had three days to pay up.

Lee called his friends.

Daniel Teo Chin Hock, 26, Goh Kok Liong, Tan Boon Khoon, 41, Tan Tyng Yan, 27, and four others, met at Far East Plaza on the evening of May 22.

See was there two friends.

In the struggle, Tan Tyng Yan floored See and punched him.

One of the men stabbed See in the stomach.

As See tried to flee, he was stabbed in the buttock by Tan Boon Khoon.

See's friend, Thomas Lim Beng Hee, in his late 20s, was stabbed in the chest.

Lim managed to escape and went to Alexandra Hospital for treatment.

See was treated at Singapore General Hospital.

JAILED

Tan Tyng Yan was sentenced to 2� years' jail and six strokes of the cane last Wednesday. He was found guilty of rioting and, in a separate incident, attempting to distribute obscene VCDs.

Teo was sentenced to three years' jail and six strokes of the cane. He was found guilty of rioting and failing to report for urine tests.

Liong didn't show up at court and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

Tan Boon Khoon (left) was earlier sentenced to seven years' jail and six strokes of the cane for rioting with a deadly weapon and drug taking.

Rambo, the victim in this case, had previous convictions.

He was jailed two weeks and fined $800 on Feb 29 last year, for pushing a police officer.

Straits Times, Singapore, 9 February 2001

Jail for phone pests

Trio who beat lawyer withdraw appeals

THREE young men who beat up a lawyer for telling their friend off for talking on a mobile phone during a movie began serving their 15-month sentences yesterday, after they withdrew their appeals.

Teo Bee Keong, 22, Soh Wee Ping, 21, and Yong Thiam Hock, 20, were earlier also ordered to be given three strokes of the cane each for the grievous attack on Mr Gerald Khor Yu Guan, 31, at Plaza Singapura Shopping Centre on Dec 26, 1999.

15 MONTHS' JAIL EACH

For telling their friend off for talking on his mobile phone during a movie, Mr Khor was assaulted by (from left) Soh, Teo and Yong on Dec 26, 1999. He suffered eye injuries and dislocated his shoulder.

They had appealed against the conviction and sentence.

All three had been on bail since their sentence on June 21 last year.

They were found guilty of assaulting Mr Khor along with Kwek Cheng Siang, 18, who threw the first punch.

Kwek pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to 12 months' jail and three strokes of the cane.

During the show, Mr Khor twice told Kwek to stop talking on the phone.

After the movie, Kwek confronted Mr Khor and his girlfriend, and kicked him in the back as he was stepping onto an escalator.

Later, at the sixth level, Kwek again had an argument with Mr Khor and assaulted him, together with the trio.

Mr Khor suffered eye injuries and a dislocated shoulder.

Yesterday, after the lawyers for the three withdrew their appeals, Chief Justice Yong Pung How said that he did not know how Kwek had gotten only 12 months and that it was gross injustice.

The maximum penalty for causing grievous hurt is seven years' jail and a fine or caning.

Previous: 22 June 2000 - Jail, caning for trio who beat up lawyer at movie

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