Man linked to knife attack on 4 people charged with fracturing man's rib, remanded for psychiatric observation

SINGAPORE: A man who was arrested after four people were attacked in a flat was charged on Monday (Jun 7) with assaulting one of them with a kitchen knife.

Zainuddin Teo, 48, was remanded for psychiatric observation and will return to court on Jun 28.

Teo was charged with one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to an Ng Cheng Loong with a kitchen knife. He allegedly attacked Mr Ng sometime after 6am on Jun 6, leaving him with a fractured rib.

The police said in an earlier statement that they responded to a case of assault at a residential unit along 2 Jalan Bukit Merah Road at 6.06am on Jun 6.

Police officers on patrol had seen a 59-year-old woman with blood-stained hands on the ground floor and proceeded to the unit at the second floor.

Preliminary investigations suggest that Teo had attacked four people, who were staying in the flat, with a knife. 

He allegedly entered while they were sleeping and assaulted a 39-year-old Vietnamese woman and a 59-year-old Malaysian woman.

When the women cried for help, two male tenants went to help and tried to subdue Teo, but were injured as well.

The women suffered knife wounds and are being treated. Of the two male tenants, an 18-year-old Malaysian fell down a flight of stairs while fleeing but is in stable condition. A 24-year-old Malaysian suffered knife wounds and is being treated, the police said.

While Teo was arrested for voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, possession of an offensive weapon and drug-related offences, he was charged with only one offence on Monday.

He was given the charge in the Court Crime Registry Chambers and ordered to be remanded at Changi Prison's Complex Medical Centre for psychiatric observation.

The police said preliminary investigations show that Teo acted alone and that it was not an act of terror, but said they have stepped up patrols in the area.

If convicted of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon, Teo could either be jailed for life or for up to 15 years, caned and fined.