Man who stomped on fallen man's face in 'barbaric assault' at Golden Mile gets jail
Wee Boon How was taken back to the scene of the crime at Golden Mile Complex after his arrest.
SINGAPORE: A 24-year-old man who was caught in a viral video stomping on a man's face at Golden Mile Complex was sentenced to jail for three years and nine months on Tuesday (Feb 19).
Wee Boon How carried out a four-minute assault on the victim, 26-year-old Bong Hong Yun, in the wee hours of Oct 11, 2017, at the first floor of Golden Mile Complex.
It began when the two men got into a staring incident near a pub in the complex, before they began exchanging vulgarities.
This progressed to punches and kicks, with their friends trying to separate them to no avail. Eventually, the victim fell to the ground but Wee continued his assault, punching his face until he lost consciousness.
Wee rained blows on the victim's face before stamping on his face, kicking him multiple times.
The victim was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where he was warded for two days before being re-admitted for facial reconstruction as he had suffered fractures.
VICTIM INSULTED ATTACKER'S MOTHER, SAYS DEFENCE
Wee's lawyer told the court that the victim had insulted Wee's mother.
This was an "extremely raw nerve", he said, as Wee's mother had abandoned him and his father when Wee was only seven years old.
Additionally, Wee had a low IQ of 60 and studied only up to Secondary 2, he said.
The prosecution asked for a jail term of at least three years and nine months, saying that footage of the attack showed the "savageness", protraction and "absolute violence" Wee used.
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Deputy Public Prosecutor Zhou Hongyi said Wee "has not learnt his lesson", pointing to the fact that he had carried out the attack while on bail for assaulting another man in April 2017.
After the Golden Mile attack, Wee again reoffended while on bail, assaulting another man at St James Power Station on Oct 28, 2017.
She added that Wee also attacked the victim's friend, and that while he claimed to have surrendered himself to the police, he did so only after "much persuasion" from the authorities.
PROSECUTION TOOK INTO ACCOUNT WEE'S LOW IQ, DID NOT ASK FOR CANING
In response to the defence's arguments, she said the prosecution had taken into account Wee's low IQ.
The defence asked for a jail term that was three months shorter than what the prosecution asked for, saying Wee wishes to turn over a new leaf and is trying to find help to curb his anger management issues.
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After leaving school, Wee worked as a door-to-door salesman selling ice cream and keychains, said the lawyer.
He claimed that the Wee's low IQ exempted him from National Service, but the prosecutor disputed this, saying there was no proof.
Before being taken into remand in November 2017, Wee worked as an attendant at an economic rice stall, earning about S$1,600 a month.
He gave S$300 of this to his father, whom he lived with in a one-room flat, said the defence.
Wee, who is now the father of a young son, pleaded guilty to one charge of causing grievous hurt and two charges of rioting.
District Judge Marvin Bay agreed with the prosecution's position, noting that the prosecutor had been "extremely moderate not seeking any caning in your sentence".
"There is no place for acts of wanton group violence, especially in a crowded public place in modern-day Singapore," he said, calling the assault "barbaric".
