Man jailed for group abuse of teen, who was scalded by hot water and attacked in hotel over a week

SINGAPORE: A 19-year-old man with low IQ was beaten up by three teenage girls and a 22-year-old man over a week in a hotel, suffering burn injuries from hot water, fractures and a brain injury.

The only man in the group attack, Muhammad Shahfakhry Mohamad Faizal, was sentenced on Monday (Feb 6) to three years and 30 months' jail, with an additional enhanced sentence of 17 days for reoffending while on remission for earlier offences.

Shahfakhry's lawyer claimed that the attack had taken place because of assertions by the girls that the victim had made some sexual advances towards them.

Shahfakhry pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including voluntarily causing hurt by means of a heated substance and unrelated drug offences.

The assault was carried out with three other girls, two of whom are 16 and 17. As they are under 18, they cannot be named. The third girl involved is 19-year-old Putri Nuramira Aishah Rosli.

The court heard that the victim knew the 16-year-old girl since 2018. He got to know Shahfakhry through this girl.

On Jan 15, 2022, Shahfakhry went to Arton Boutique Hotel at Tyrwhitt Road with his co-accused to consume drugs.

The victim asked the 16-year-old girl where she was and went to join them at the hotel.

On Jan 17, 2022, Shahfakhry began hitting the victim by slapping, punching and kicking him. The 16-year-old girl also began slapping and kicking the victim.

Some of the acts were recorded by another co-accused.

On Jan 19, 2022, the four aggressors were in the hotel room with the victim when one of the girls boiled hot water in a kettle and gestured at Shahfakhry to pour it on the victim.

Shahfakhry took the kettle and poured the hot liquid on the victim's head and back.

The victim was abused by the four offenders between Jan 17 and Jan 25 last year. He was punched, slapped, kicked and hit with a dustpan and gas refiller can.

On Jan 23, 2022, the victim's sister saw a post online with a photo of the victim, who appeared badly injured. 

The group realised that the victim was in "a bad state" on Jan 25, 2022 and bought medication and bandages to tend to his wounds.

That same day, the victim's sister reported to the police that her brother had left home on Jan 14, 2022 and had not returned. She also told the police about the social media post she had seen.

The police found the victim in the hotel with Shahfakhry and two of the attackers on Jan 26, 2022. The victim was assessed to be in critical condition and taken to hospital, while the trio was arrested.

The fourth attacker was arrested a day later.

The victim suffered multiple injuries including facial fractures, extensive bleeding in his head and chemical burns to his scalp, face and back. He also had slash wounds, lacerations and cigarette butt burns, as well as amnesia and traumatic brain injury.

He was admitted to hospital and suffered an acute stress reaction.

Shahfakhry's urine samples contained methamphetamine and he admitted consuming it since November 2021.

He had been convicted for meth consumption in February 2021 and was given a year's jail for this offence.

Two of the girls involved in the attack have been sentenced to stints in a reformative training centre, while the last case is pending.

NOT A FIGHT: PROSECUTOR

Deputy Public Prosecutor Selene Yap asked for a jail term of between three years and 30 months and three years and 38 months' for Shahfakhry.

She objected to the defence's characterisation of the some of the incidents as "fights" between the victim and the accused.

"The fact that the accused didn't sustain any injuries and the victim sustained very serious injuries is a clear sign that there wasn't such a fight," she said.

She pointed to a video played in court, saying it was very clear that it was not a fight.

The lawyer also claimed that Shahfakhry had hit the victim because of some assertions made by some of the girls that the victim had made sexual advances against them.

"This is slightly inconsistent with the accused's statement that he was angry with the victim for looking at the girls in a creepy manner," said Ms Yap.

She acknowledged that not all the injuries could be attributed to Shahfakhry, but said the most serious, brutal and sustained ones could be.

In sentencing, the judge called the cruelty inflicted on the vulnerable victim "deplorable".

"This was a senseless act of cruelty, the accused being the most culpable," he said.