SINGAPORE: A high-profile undertaker, who was sentenced to a six-month jail term in May for criminal intimidation and assault, has had his punishment reduced to a two-month jail term.

Roland Tay Hai Choon swung a crowbar at former business partner Paul Wong Wah Suang outside the Lavender Street premises of funeral services company All Saints Christian Bereavement (ASCB) in May 2007 and threatened to kill him.

Mr Tay, the director of Direct Singapore Funeral Services, is a major shareholder of ASCB. Mr Wong and his wife suspected that money for ASCB was being channelled to another company, All Saints Funeral Services.

Together with his wife and a private detective, Mr Wong went to ASCB's office around 2am on 31 May 2007 to remove its signboards, name cards, banners and brochures. A fight broke out when Mr Tay reached the scene at 4.30am and tried to stop them.

Three of Mr Tay's male employees at the scene also took part in the assault, using their fists and even a plastic chair.

Mr Tay's lawyer, Mr Gurdip Singh from Gurdip & Gill, told the High Court that Mr Tay was exercising his lawful right to protect his property.

Mr Singh said that the law allows a person to defend himself and his property by force if necessary when there is an invasion of his rights, and if there is no time to get police help.

"He (Mr Tay) carried the crowbar naturally out of fear of his own safety as well as for the protection of his own property. It was not his intention to use the said crowbar for any illegal purpose," said Mr Singh.

He added that the "unpremeditated" incident lasted for about 15 seconds and Mr Wong only suffered superficial injuries.

It would be "a miscarriage of justice to put the entire blame" on Mr Tay for what had "unexpectedly" transpired, said Mr Singh.

Mr Tay, 62, had made the headlines for bearing the funeral costs of high-profile murder victims such as China girl Huang Na and Kallang body-parts victim Liu Hong Mei.

- CNA/sc