Brothers who attacked mum’s ex-boyfriend to ‘protect’ her lose court appeal
SINGAPORE — A pair of brothers who took the law into their own hands by beating up their mother's former boyfriend had their appeal for a lighter sentence dismissed on Friday (Aug 24).
Ng Shiuh Shao, 24, was given a two-year jail term and Ng Shiuh Leong, 23, was jailed nine months. Their sentences remain, but they were given a deferment to start serving time by the High Court.
The brothers, whose professions were not stated in court documents, had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Tey Meng Seng, 42, a Malaysian who works as a dishwasher. Mr Tey had a relationship with their mother Cindy Lim Wan Chan, 45, a sales assistant, as well as another woman, Ms Leong Choi Kuen, 47, who was unemployed.
On March 29 in 2016, suspecting that Mr Tey had cheated on their mother, the brothers went with her and Ms Leong to Mr Tey's home, a rental residence in Queenstown. Ms Leong's intention in following them there is not known.
They waited more than four hours for him and the brothers attacked him when he returned from work. They punched him several times on his head, face, chest and arms. Trying in vain to block their punches, Mr Tey fell to the ground, where he was hit with a stool on his head and wrist.
The older Ng brother then pointed a knife at him to get him to hand over two mobile phones that he used, to check if he might be contacting other women.
Mr Tey sustained multiple bruises on his face, scalp and shoulder, as well as an eye injury in the attack that lasted five minutes. He was warded for two days at the Singapore General Hospital, had to pay S$1,450 for his medical fees, and was certified unfit for work for 35 days.
During the hearing on Friday, the younger Ng — speaking on behalf of his older brother since they both did not have a lawyer — asked the High Court judge to grant them some leniency since they were "really just wanting to protect our parents".
"We didn't think anything and just act, rushing (into it). I hope Your Honour, (you) can give us some chance to change (to be) a better person."
Urging the High Court to dismiss their appeals against sentence, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Yang Ziliang said that the brothers are not first offenders.
The older Ng spent two years in a juvenile home when he was 15, for offences of extortion with common intention, and criminal breach of trust.
Within a few months of his release from the juvenile home, he stole S$5,000 worth of gold jewellery and cash from his grandmother, with the younger Ng keeping a lookout.
The older Ng spent the loot on his daily expenses and bets on football matches.
Later in 2012, while out on bail for the theft offence, the two brothers were caught with five others after causing hurt to two teenage boys over a dispute among secret society gang members. The older brother had to undergo reformative training, while the younger one was placed under probation for 21 months.
In another previous conviction, the younger brother was jailed six months and disqualified from driving after he was found guilty of stealing a vehicle and taking another vehicle without the owner's consent, among other driving-related offences.
'BAD FAMILY BACKGROUND'
In the present case, DPP Yang said that the duo were "seeking revenge against the victim for his perceived slights towards their mother" and were not genuinely remorseful towards the victim, having compensated Mr Tey his medical fees only in January this year — close to two years after the incident — when they decided to plead guilty on the eve of their trial.
In reply, the younger Ng told the court that they have a "bad family background", saying that his father did not want to bail him out in the 2012 rioting case, for example.
"I really did not do anything (at that time). I was just standing there. I was caught (and put on) remand. Dad didn't want to bail me, so I decided to plead guilty to the charge," he said.
"We brothers and family are trying to build a strong relationship (among ourselves)," he added.
He also pleaded to Justice Aedit Abdullah to defer his older brother's sentence so that he could spend more time with his one-month-old daughter.
DPP Yang said that Ng Shiuh Shao has had sufficient time to attend to personal matters, having asked for more time to get married earlier this year ahead of his child's birth. An adjournment of weeks is fair, but not months, he added.
In passing his verdict, Justice Aedit said that he "appreciates" that they were trying to protect their mother and gave both brothers an eight-week deferment of sentence to attend to their personal matters. However, he noted that the sentence passed by the District Court was fair, considering the injuries caused and their antecedents.
"I am giving you (both) a chance in starting your sentences (later). Make sure you don't get into further trouble these eight weeks, or else the next sentence will be really bad," Justice Aedit said.
To the new father Ng Shiuh Shao, he added: "Bond with the child, take care of the child, but you must be ready to start your sentence."
Ng Shiuh Shao remains out on a S$10,000 bail, and Ng Shiuh Leong, on a S$5,000 bail. Their mother and another brother of theirs acted as their bailors.
