Corpun file 18677

Today Weekend, Singapore, 16 December 2006

Stab video raises questions

By Leong Wee Keat

(extract)

WHOEVER filmed this video, and posted it on the Web, knew the contents would be shocking, perhaps revolting.

"It's quite graphic, so be forewarned," said blogger Locksley on his online journal.

Lasting two minutes and 22 seconds, the footage shows a man stabbing a woman repeatedly, in Singapore. Thirty-five seconds after the video starts, the woman, her clothes blood-soaked, falls to the ground.

Passers-by who intervened failed to restrain the man, who dragged the woman by the collar, thrusting a knife into her repeatedly as if possessed.

Picture of Zhu Jinfeng from The New Paper, 16 November 2006

On Aug 24, Chinese National Zhu Jinfeng, 26, attacked his ex-lover Ms Lou Yanwa, 24, on a pavement near Block 146, Bukit Batok West Avenue 6. He was sentenced to eight months' jail and four strokes of the cane last month.

He is in jail, while she is recovering from her wounds and trauma — but somewhere out there, someone decided the episode deserved a re-airing.

On Nov 28, someone using the name "ramenory" posted the video on the online video hosting portal YouTube. As of Friday, it has had 10,000 viewers and the clip is still being circulated via email.

Scary, unbelievable, sick — these were the comments of some viewers.

But some, like Locksley, decided it was worth uploading. He did so because it was "unusual, thought-provoking", the 24-year-old National University of Singapore undergraduate told Today via email.

"It's terrifying to think that something like this could happen on the usually very safe streets of Singapore."

It was interesting, he added, to see how Singaporeans react. Most question why bystanders took so long to help, and why the cameraman filmed, instead of helping the victim.

[...]

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

Corpun file 18666

Straits Times, Singapore, 16 December 2006

Four cases in just the last few days

By Elena Chong

THEFT of metal wires and fittings are on the rise, with the Subordinate Courts dealing with one or two cases a day, according to a police prosecutor.

There were four in the last two days.

Indian national Sethu Mani, 28, was yesterday sentenced to six weeks' jail and three strokes of the cane for stealing lightning conductor copper wires worth $200 from the void deck of Block 773 Yishun Avenue 3 last Saturday.

Also dealt with yesterday in a separate case was Myanmar national Win Aung, 24. He was jailed four months for stealing $30,000 worth of copper components and wires from a Singapore Power sub-station in Quality Road in Jurong on Jan 27.

He was also given four weeks' jail as well as four strokes of the cane for illegal entry and seven weeks for fraudulently possessing someone else's work permit.

Most of the offenders caught for metal thefts are given between two and four weeks in jail, depending on the value of the stolen metal.

If it involves theft of public property, like from a town council area, offenders are charged under the Vandalism Act, and can expect at least three strokes and a fine of up to $2,000 or jail of up to three years.

When the metal is stolen off private property, offenders are charged with theft and face a maximum penalty of three years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Two other cases were heard on Thursday. A Singaporean and a Chinese national were charged with stealing piping wire. Their case will be mentioned next week.

The other involves three Malaysian men who were packed off to jail for theft of copper wires as well as loitering and other offences.

Lawyer Kertar Singh, who has been in practice for 12 years, recounted how theft of overhead copper wires was a big problem in the late 60s and 70s, when he was a police officer. The thefts abated once the authorities started to cane offenders.

'Now, copper has again started to shine because of the demand, and it is quite lucrative.'

Copyright © 2006 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Corpun file 18687

Straits Times, Singapore, 23 December 2006

Cellphone row

Man gets 8 years for knife attack

By Elena Chong

15 strokes of the cane: Azahar Abdullah, 31

A DISPUTE over a mobile phone cost one man his life and resulted in the stabbing of another.

The trouble began at the end of April when Azahar Abdullah, a 31-year-old unemployed former drug addict, accused his acquaintance, Mr Syed Malik Syed Osman, 46, of stealing his mobile phone.

Upset, Mr Syed Malik complained to his friend, Mr Zainal Zainuddin, a 41-year-old odd-job labourer.

On the night of May 4, Mr Zainal, Mr Syed Malik and two others went to Azahar's home in Block 68 Circuit Road to settle the issue.

Outside the flat, a dispute arose. Mr Zainal hit Azahar with an umbrella and Azahar retaliated by pulling out a kitchen knife from his trouser pocket.

Azahar left and returned with two friends. As the argument continued, Azahar stabbed Mr Zainal in the abdomen and slashed his face.

Mr Zainal and one of his friends fled to Circuit Link while Mr Syed Malik and another ran towards the hawker centre at Block 79.

Azahar caught up with Mr Zainal, kicked his friend, then punched and kicked Mr Zainal repeatedly until he fell to the ground.

Azahar and his friends then found Mr Syed Malik at the hawker centre. Azahar punched, kicked and stabbed the victim until he fell on the ground.

Two of Azahar's friends also kicked Mr Syed Malik, but he managed to pick himself up and flee.

Mr Zainal died in hospital a month after the attack.

Azahar was initially charged with his murder, but the charge was later reduced to stabbing.

Yesterday, Azahar was sentenced to a total of eight years' jail and 15 strokes of the cane for grievously hurting Mr Zainal and causing hurt to Mr Syed Malik with a knife.

Azahar, who had mainly drug-related convictions, said he was truly remorseful and asked for another chance.

District Judge F.G. Remedios told Azahar his response to the settlement talk was clearly disproportionate. Even when Mr Zainal was wounded and down, he continued his ferocious attack.

The judge rejected his plea for concurrent sentences.

Corpun file 18692

Straits Times, Singapore, 30 December 2006

Uncle jailed 12 years for raping niece

Divorced man also had sex with her underage friend

By Chong Chee Kin

A MAN who twice raped his 13-year-old niece and repeatedly molested her, and who also had sex with her classmate, was jailed 12½ years.

He was also ordered to be given 20 strokes of the cane after he admitted his offences yesterday.

All the offences against the two underage girls occurred within two months last year. The 30-year-old unemployed man was then living with his sister, the mother of the girl he raped.

The man cannot be named in order to protect the identities of his victims.

Sporting a neat, cropped hair cut, the man kept his head bowed as District Judge Jasvender Kaur rebuked him for abusing the trust of his sister who had placed her daughter in his care.

The divorced man's offences came to light only when his niece ran away from home in shame and in fear of getting pregnant.

The court heard how the man, whose two sons were staying with their mother, first raped his niece when they were alone at home at about 7am on Nov 22 last year.

The girl, then 13, was staying over at the flat as she was visiting her mother, who was divorced from her father.

The man got on the same bed and despite her struggles, forced himself on her.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Shahla Iqbal and Kenneth Chuah said the frightened girl started crying when he sexually assaulted her.

'She also began reading her prayers silently, hoping she would have the courage to stop the accused from touching her,' they said.

Nevertheless, her uncle would go on to rape her another time and molest her on six occasions in November and December last year.

The man also befriended her classmate, then 14, and persuaded her to be his girlfriend and have sex with him on three occasions.

The prosecution pressed for a deterrent sentence.

'He was clearly in a position of trust and authority... Instead of protecting and caring for the girl, he took advantage of his position and subjected her to his own selfish sexual gratification,' the DPPs said.

As for his offences on the girl's classmate, the DPPs said he clearly knew the girl was underage.

They added that he had unprotected sex with them, exposing them to the risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

The judge agreed, noting that the man had no mitigating factors save one - that he had pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him.

The man could have been jailed up to 20 years.

Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.